In this third installment of the massively popular Dreamworks children’s franchise Madagascar 3, the director trio team of Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon team up with writer Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale). The result is a surprisingly well-made circus of color that bursts at the seams with great visual gags. It’s usually the third film in animated trilogies where filmmakers typically get lazy, but there is a lot of effort to detail and storytelling to keep things moving here. The heaviest criticism to levy against a film intended for children is the lack of a moral compass and excessive (and sometimes disturbing) cartoonish violence, preventing Madagascar 3 from being a total knockout.

For those unfamiliar with the previous two films in the series, Madagascar centers around a quartet of escaped zoo animals led by an adventurous-but-shy Lion named Alex (Ben Stiller). He and his three friends, including Marty (Chris Rock), a zany zebra, Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith), a hip hippo, and Melman (David Schwimmer), a goofy giraffe, escaped from their prison in NYC to the open plains of Africa. However, in this third installment, the reverse is happening, as the homesick animals attempt to return back to the comforts of their original home. With the help of some crafty penguins and monkeys, the animals somehow end up in the south of France where they are mercilessly chased by an evil animal control agent Captain Chanel DuBois (Frances McDormand).

To help them escape the cruelty of DuBois and her bumbling animal control officers, the group encounters a circus troupe full of animals who allow them to stowaway in a train bound for Rome. It’s this cast of new animals, including a knife throwing tiger Vitaly (Bryan Cranston) and a silly sea lion Stefano (Martin Short) that give the film a breath of fresh of air. In addition to brisk pacing, there is something oddly refreshing about the Looney Tunes-esque pacing that keeps the comedic action steamrolling for the 90-minute runtime. This comedic timing paired with a witty script from Baumbach, provides enough entertainment for both children and adults alike. Not to mention the outstanding visual fidelity of the animation, with vibrant colors that burst from the screen, even despite being presented in the typically dimming third dimension.

Yet the biggest criticism that Madagascar 3 faces is the lack of any kind of real message for the kids. Sure there are discussions about not lying to your friends and sticking together with your buddies, but the directors are more concerned with keeping the gags coming. It’s not the biggest problem, but it prevents the animated adventure from elevating to that upper echelon of animated films, even though Dreamworks executives are hoping that it can rival the best of Pixar. Also a small nitpick about the over use of Katy Perry’s “Fireworks” (used much more effectively and oddly in Jacques Audiard‘s Rust & Bone) is grating. At its most basic, Madagascar 3 is brainless summer popcorn munching fun for the whole family that will satisfy fans of the previous films.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted hits theaters on June 8th.

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Grade: B-

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