Review: 'Madagascar 3' is a joyride you don’t want to miss

Film: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (Animation)
Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon
Cast: Ben Stiller as Alex the Lion, Chris Rock as Marty the Zebra, Jada Pinkett-Smith as Gloria the Hippo, David Schwimmer as Melman the Giraffe, Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien Frances McDormand as Chantel DuBois
Rating: ****

They’re in Africa. It’s Alex the Lion’s birthday. His friends in adventure, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe have recreated the Central Park on sand. But Alex wants to go to his real home, New York. Madagascar 3 takes off from where Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ended.

Penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private are their ticket to New York, what with their super van-cum-airplane equipped fully with GPS navigation and other military intelligence paraphernalia. But there’s a hitch: Alex is on animal control officer Chantel DuBois’ Most Wanted list. The wily, exaggeratedly evil-looking, gravity-defying DuBois’ shuttles between scooters and makeshift airplanes, all so that Alex’s ‘excessively hair-conditioned’ mane can adorn her wall of prized animal heads. Her flights of fury ensure scooter chases that could give any action film a run for its money.

Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman reach Monte Carlo (the adventure involved in this journey is not explained). Italy. London. Finally, New York. On the way they manage to convince Vitaly the Siberian Tiger and Gia the Leopard to take them onboard a circus train, obviously lying about being circus animals themselves.

With uproarious chases, smart penguin chatter, love blooming between Alex and Gia and King Julien’s hilarious display of affection for Sonia the Bear, Madagascar 3 makes for a more than delightful watch. Hail King Julien and his antics to impress his new found love!

There is hardly time to register or ponder over what unfolds; it’s so fast-paced it could get nauseous. Add to this a spectacularly colourful and playful display of pyrotechnics, set appropriately to Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’. Madagascar 3 does not shy away from glorifying animals in circuses, but they’re all having fun and entertaining you to bits. We must not complain. The burst of colour is not likely to impress all; still the animation is clearly the result of artistic revelry. The quality of animation of the Madagascar franchise was never in doubt.

Madagascar 3 is a joyride you don’t want to miss. A perfect treat for you and your kids.

PS: Keep an eye out for Marty the Zebra’s Afro Circus/I Like to Move it dance, complete with a colourful Afro wig and polka dots. Bet anything if you don’t leave the cinema hall going ‘ta ta ta ra ra ra ta ra ra circus/ta ta ta ra ra ra ta ra ra Afro circus.’