Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
When: September 13
Rated: PG
Preview: Jan Fisher
Roll up, roll up, for the greatest show in town, or at the very least, the surprisingly decent sequel that is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.
All the team are back – Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) – and they’re still trying to get back to New York. Their gang of sidekicks – the penguins, lemurs, and King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) – are still stealing almost every scene they are in. So far, it’s business as usual.
But unlike Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, where it was more of the tame-animals-meets-wild animals theme of the first movie, this latest offering indulgently sets itself in sophisticated Europe, and the results are sublime.
With the misguided help of the penguins, the gang of four recklessly buy a circus as a front to travel incognito. Unfortunately the circus is remarkably bad, and since their return to the US relies on them being picked up for a tour, but only if they are remarkably good, they need a change of luck, pronto.
Cue frankly hilarious scenes of them transforming a tiger with performance anxiety, several super cranky performing dogs, an endearingly stupid seal (Martin Short), and King Julien’s love story with the circus bear. All this is set against a back story of the gang being pursued by the ruthless, and creepy, animal control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand), who is determined to have Alex’s head as a trophy. Her relentless campaign is one of the best, and most disturbing, elements of the movie. She also has a wicked way with a dart gun, kick-arse scooter driving skills and a lipstick fetish.
Toss in a couple of chase scenes, most featuring the maniac Captain DuBois, and the whole thing culminates in a circus performance that well earns the 3D entry cost.
There is a lot going on with Madagascar 3, almost all of it good. A sequel worth watching.
