MOVIE: Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedYear: 2012Rating: PGLength: 93 minutes / 1.55 hours
After the first two movies in the Madagascar franchise explored what it was like for zoo animals to survive in the wild, the natural conclusion to this arc was to bring them into an adjacent space for performing animals: the circus. While this didn't allow for nearly as much individual character development as was in Madagascar: Return 2 Africa (2008), Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) was still a fun ride that looked the best the franchise as ever looked.
If anything, Europe's Most Wanted shares more with the first Madagascar (2005) than the second one. The focus on animals performing (including that somewhat annoying "Entrance of the Gladiators" bit that Marty (Chris Rock) does) and the return to Central Park is a good bookend to bring closure to the saga started in the first movie. At least this journey was more purposeful than a mere accident that put the...