“Do you want me to give it to you straight?”
When last we left our main characters from the first two Madagascar films they were stranded in Africa after being shipped from their home in the New York Zoo. We knew the sequel was coming. They couldn’t have left it any more wide open than they did. Of course, the reasonable questions were already being asked by the time the second film began. Do we really need another Madagascar film? Is there any new territory to explore? What could they possibly add to make us want to come back for more?
You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers. Do we really need another Madagascar film? Need might not be the right word here, but as I said about the second film: everything you loved from the first film is back again. Dreamworks took the high road and brought all of the voice cast back. That means the wonderful chemistry these characters developed in the first film gets to continue. We don’t have to waste time setting up new bonds. We can get right to the adventure. Dreamworks also retained pretty much the entire animation team and added even more talent. Of course, technology is only as good as what you do with it. We get lovable characters in very interesting situations. If you even liked the first two films, I think you’ll get some entertainment from this one.
Is there any new territory to explore? The answer to that question is yes. This time the gang find themselves in Europe trying to find a way back to New York and the Zoo. It all starts in Monte Carlo, where the penguins are trying to raise enough cash to buy their way home. When Alex (Stiller), Marty (Rock), Melman (Schwimmer) and Gloria (Pinkett Smith) all crash the casino, it brings them to the attention of animal control agent Captain Chantel DuBois (McDormand). As the gang flees the captain, who wants to put Alex’s head on her trophy wall, they come upon a circus train. They lie and pretend to be American circus performers to get the animals to take them in. The penguins use their Monte Carlo winnings to buy the circus in the hopes that a promoter who is scheduled to see the show will offer them a contract to tour America. And it’s home sweet home. The circus is made up of a new collection of interesting characters. Gia (Chastain) is an Italian Jaguar who falls for Alex. Stefano (Short) is a happy seal, and Vitaly (Cranston) is a Siberian tiger who has lost his nerve after a horrible accident years ago. Along the way, the gang’s lies give the performers confidence, and the circus is built into a brand new spectacular show of lights and fireworks. But Dubois is constantly on their trail as they travel from city to city, country to country.
Video
Madagascar 3 is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The 1080p image is arrived at with an AVC MPEG-4 codec at an average 25-30 mbps. The computer animation is pretty well done, and the high-definition image presentation doesn’t let the movie down. It’s a bright and sharp image with plenty of jump-off-the-screen colors. Detail can be found in the hair reproduction on the feline characters. Black levels are awesome. You don’t really miss the 3D, although there are moments that were obviously made with 3D in mind.
Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is not the 7.1 track mentioned on the box specs. Still, it’s a very bright and dynamic audio presentation. The dialog cuts cleanly even with a lively score and plenty of loud sounds. The subs do a pretty good job, and the music sounds cheerful and gay. The surrounds can be quite aggressive during the many manic scenes of chase or circus performances.
Special Features
There is a Trivia Track and an Animator’s Corner feature that can be played along with the film. The later is a picture-in-picture with various stages of animation process.
Get Them To The Train: This is a game strictly for the kids.
Big Top Cast: (13:38) Go behind the microphone with the film’s talented voice cast.
Deleted Scenes: (6:18) There are three scenes each with an intro. The footage is combined test footage and storyboards. There is a handy play-all option.
Ringmasters: (15:07) This is a promotional behind-the-scenes feature. The three directors give you a tour through the various production departments.
Madagascar 3 Roundtable: (3:48) The four lead voice actors sit down to an informal chat about the franchise with each other.
Party Wig: This edition came with a vacu-packed Marty Party Wig.
DVD/Digital Copy
Final Thoughts:
The film involves the usual slapstick and cat-and-mouse games that have been entertaining kids long before the Coyote has been chasing the Roadrunner. In fact, I swear I heard a couple of beep beep’s. The new characters are interesting enough, but this is really kid’s fare and doesn’t have a whole lot to feed the adults in the audience who came to entertain the kids. You get tons of morals about deceit, friendship, and the whole grass being greener routine, but not enough to make this a summer tent-pole film. The folks at Dreamworks still offer the beautiful animation that has been the hallmark of most of their animation features. It’s bright and shiny and will appeal to kids and raccoons. Still, it will pull in a few summer dollars, and I expect to see Madagascar 4 coming down the animation pipeline in the not-to-distant future. “I call it Phase 4 dash 7B.”
10/18/2012 @ 12:46 am
I would not say that we needed another Madagascar film, but I am definitely happy that I watched the one they did make and the reason is the graphics. We watched the 3D version on my Hopper last night and were left in awe. I was talking to a few of my coworkers at DISH and everyone agrees that the story was a little bland, but no one denies DreamWorks pixel power.