Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon
The story: In Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) land in Africa. In this instalment, they have to figure out how to get back to their park-enclosure home in New York. They catch up with the scheming penguins in Monte Carlo, attract the attention of the zealous animal control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) and end up with a travelling circus.

The circus is in town and it is a circus unlike any you have seen before.
Unfettered by the laws of physics and freed from the realm of plausibility, directors Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon have cooked up a giddy extravaganza of colour, light and movement.
There is Alex on the trapeze, Marty in a riotous afro and Melman and Gloria up on the tight rope as the four friends turn into circus performers in an attempt to get back home to New York.
By now, audiences would be familiar with Ben Stiller’s leader-of-the-pack lion, Chris Rock’s exuberant zebra, David Schwimmer’s shy giraffe and Jada Pinkett Smith’s assertive hippo.
So introducing the circus and adding some new characters is a great way to liven up the proceedings.
Bryan Cranston from television’s Breaking Bad brings a prickly imperiousness to Vitaly the tiger, a bad-tempered washed-up has-been.
He was once a star performer with his ability to jump through breathtakingly small hoops until he was brought down by hubris.
Watch how he bounces back with help from Alex.
Martin Short’s mopey seal also leaves an impression although Jessica Chastain’s Gia is a little underwritten and is mainly there to serve as Alex’s feline love interest.
And in the most entertaining cross- species romance since Donkey met Dragon in the Shrek films, the lemur King Julien XIII (Sacha Baron Cohen) falls hard for a tutu-clad circus bear who is presented as an unspeaking beast rather than a talking character.
Stealing some of the spotlight from the animals is the dogged animal control officer Captain Chantel DuBois, played with relish by McDormand.
Drawn with fierce eyes, thin cruel lips and a generous waist, DuBois turns out to be a formidable match even for the smart and devious penguins.
One has the feeling that audiences have not quite seen the last of the captain.
Perhaps she could turn up in the likely sequel Madagascar 4 or even in the spin-off flick for the penguins.
The circus element has clearly energised the film-makers here and they show there is plenty of wild and wacky life in the Madagascar franchise.
(ST)