Witty 'Madagascar 3' the best of the bunch
It's the Madagascariest movie ever!
"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" marks one of those rare Hollywood sequels actually better than the two previous installments in its trilogy.
The stripped-down story moves like a bullet (or, in keeping with the circus theme here, a cannonball).
The script (by indie filmmaker/"Fantastic Mr. Fox" writer Noah Baumbach and co-director Eric Darnell) is rife with equal parts wit and silliness.
The themes of loyalty, friendship and community are family friendly.
The splendiferous computer animation makes efficient use of 3-D imagery to maximize its sensational impact.
Some more mature viewers and film critics may not get the nuanced comic stylings of Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock) repeating the words "Afro" and "circus" while wearing a multicolored Afro wig, but the repetitious musical bit hits its target audience - kids - right between the funny bones.
For adults, "Europe's Most Wanted" offers a plethora of clever movie references to be gleaned, be it the timely tune from "Born Free" or a zoo character screeching "Serpentine! Serpentine!" - a rather obscure allusion to Peter Falk's command to Alan Arkin from the 1979 comedy "The In-Laws."
On a bigger scale, "Europe's Most Wanted" uses its splashy, jet-fueled visuals to cover its underlying heartfelt dramatic arc. It's really about a group of adolescent friends who are growing up and maturing without their knowledge or consent and, by the end, their values have changed, their goals have altered, and they've become wiser, better people.
Uh, animals.
"Europe's Most Wanted" brings back Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), last seen in 2008's "Madagascar 2" chasing those pesky monkeys and penguins to Monte Carlo.
Here, the gang runs into a modern-day Inspector Javert in the form of relentless French animal control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand, managing a maniacal French accent).
Able to move like Jackie Chan, sniff evidence like a police dog and hit anything with a tranquilizer dart at any distance, DuBois comes the closest to a classic Walt Disney animated villainess in a DreamWorks movie.
With a nose sharper than a stiletto, DuBois and her bungling squad give chase to the escaped zoo animals, who, like Ulysses in "The Odyssey," just want to go home, back to their beloved New York zoo.
One night while being chased by DuBois, the animals take refuge inside a train boxcar transporting a circus. A burly Russian tiger named Vitaly ("Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston) wants them gone because they're not performing circus animals.
But his sleek feline co-star Gia the Jaguar (Jessica Chastain) insists they stay, especially after Alex lies by telling them they are performers in Circus Americano. Meanwhile, the monkeys, using their ill-gotten gains at Monaco, purchase the failing circus, much to Vitaly's disgust.
"Europe's Most Wanted" may be hard-core commercial kids cartoon cinema, but it ranks on the higher end of the genre, complete with the obligatory pop tune soundtrack (especially Katy Perry's overused "Firework") and a pull-out-the-stops laser light show circus finale combining the "2001: A Space Odyssey" ending with a Siegfried and Roy acid trip.
No matter how outlandish it gets, "Europe's Most Wanted" rebounds with self-aware humor, such as the scene in which Alex and Gia engage in a childish squabble.
"What are we, 5?" Alex says.
"Yes. I am 5," Gia replies.
Oops. Gotta remember those animal-year correlations.
“Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted”
★ ★ ★ ½
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Martin Short, Jessica Chastain, Frances McDormand, Cedric the Entertainer
Directed by: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon
Other: A Paramount Pictures release. Rated PG. 93 minutes