Madagascar 3:
Europe’s Most Wanted - (June 8th, 2012): PG
Distributor: Paramount
Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#1 with $60,316,738
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $60,316,738
Gross Revenue: $135,816,738
Production Budget:
$145 million
Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, & Conrad Vernon
Last month, I was asked by an
executive from Sony Pictures to identify what I believed was a current
shortcoming in Hollywood marketing tactics, and we promptly discussed the importance
of leveraging the names of stars in upcoming projects, and the heavy financial
cost of failing to do so; in animation, this risk can be compounded, and at
first glance, it looked like DreamWorks Animation may have made a misstep, as
few, if any, of the promotional materials for Europe’s Most Wanted actually identified the voices behind the
characters. Luckily, as this would be
the third entry in the Madagascar
series, the characters themselves are so well-received and recognizable, that
you really don’t need to have it so that Ben Stiller’s name is always next to his
big cat counterpart anytime the protagonist shows up on a billboard…just put the
zoo animals in multi-colored afros and audiences will know to expect some
high-quality work. As the release date
approached, you couldn’t go anywhere or turn on the television without seeing
some kind of promotion for Madagascar 3,
whether that involved the “Very Funny” seal of approval from the TBS Network or
the multiple high-profile partnerships and licensees (see if you can catch the
hysterical tongue-in-cheek product placement for HP Printers within the film
itself). With the established fan-base
of the franchise, the promotional emphasis on 3D admission, and the inherent
international appeal of a story based in Europe, absolutely everyone had the
expectation that this animated comedy would hit the box office like a
sledgehammer. As a devoted fan of the
series, I could have watched King Julien talk alone onscreen for three hours
and been satisfied, but I had it on good authority from my contacts at
DreamWorks Animation that this newest entry was brilliant, so seeing and
reviewing this film was going to be nothing short of a treat.
Picking up a few months after the
events of the second film, Madagascar 3:
Europe’s Most Wanted finds Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman
(David Schwimmer), and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) all disillusioned with their
life in Africa and yearning to return to their home in New York. Along with King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen),
Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer), and Mort (Andy Richter), the zoo animals
travel to Monte Carlo to locate the Penguins (Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski
(Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights), and Rico (John DiMaggio)), and
their chimpanzee companions in order to have them fly everyone back to New York
City; unfortunately, the protagonists soon draw the attention of Monaco Animal
Control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand), an expert tracker
who becomes obsessed with making Alex her newest trophy. Following a hectic chase and an unsuccessful aerial
escape, the four fugitives soon realize that their only way to move through
Europe undetected is to join a traveling circus. Convincing the circus animals Stefano the Sea
Lion (Martin Short), Gia the Jaguar (Jessica Chastain), and Vitaly the Tiger
(Bryan Cranston), that they are performers, the zoo animals join the act and
resolve to catch the attention of an American talent scout who will be watching
their upcoming performance in London and who has the power to arrange an
American tour. Unfortunately, after the
Penguins purchase the circus, it is discovered that the animal’s act is
shockingly inept and unlikely to find success, so each stowaway resolves to
help improve the show; Alex develops a romantic trapeze act with Gia, Gloria
and Melman perfect a tightrope dance, both Marty and Vitaly embrace the subtle
art of cannonball launching; all while King Julien builds a relationship with
Sonya the Bear, who proves to be an adept Ducati rider. Evading DuBois and relishing life in show
business, our four heroes must soon decide whether they truly want to return to
their former lives or embrace the new adventure and the new friends that they
have discovered.
It is not too often that animated
characters are able to endure through multiple series entries without falling
victim to tired humor, shameless plot points, or straight-to-DVD overall
quality, but I am proud to report that Madagascar
3: Europe’s Most Wanted actually improves upon its predecessors and returns
viewers to the familiar in full glory.
Audiences have grown to love the Madagascar
animals, and each is in top form within this entry, making way for considerable
humor that demonstrates masterful comedic timing; King Julien’s courtship of
Sonya through the streets of Vatican City is utterly hysterical. As for the story itself, the narrative
actually adeptly blends the nonstop humor with genuine pathos; you feel sorry
for the beleaguered circus animals and genuinely want to see them succeed,
while the conflict that the central characters feel over their newfound
commitment to the circus is far deeper an emotion than the franchise has
tackled in the past. And, in terms of
animation, it has been said that fur, clothing, and water, are among the most
difficult elements to execute, making a movie about circus-performing animals a
potential nightmare; but, as always, DreamWorks Animation has set the bar even
higher and made full-use of the 3D technology, as everything onscreen is gorgeous,
and the featured performances are so awe-inducing and engrossing that you
actually find yourself wishing you could pay admission to an animated circus. Normally, at this point in my reviews I take
the time to point out shortcomings of a film, but the reality is that what could
be perceived as a cinematic misstep actually paves the way for some of the most
enjoyable elements of Europe’s Most
Wanted.
The introduction of new characters
is a necessity for any sequel, and while such an addition can run the risk of
overshadowing the bankable stars of a franchise, the new personalities
showcased in Madagascar 3 are so
rewarding that it is hard to criticize the film for reducing its focus on Alex,
Marty, Melman, and Gloria. Though Alex receives
enough focus thanks to his budding romance with Gia; Marty, Melman, and Gloria
largely take a back seat within a narrative, but they are still treated with
respect, and their reduced role helps keeps interest fresh and momentum
strong. Making full use of the varied
backgrounds that you would expect from a traveling European circus, each of the
circus animals are unique and hysterical, whether is the brash Russian personality
of Vitaly or the brawling Cockney attitudes of the performing dogs…Martin Short
has such a strong and distracting Italian dialect as Stefano that I heard
several audience members react in surprise when his name showed up in the end
credits. And then there’s DuBois
herself, who may be slightly offensive (but no less funny) in her portrayal of
French culture, but is nonetheless a threatening villain that serves as a
perfect foil to the protagonists…all-in-all, the voice cast is brilliant and I look
forward to their return. So, some
purists might be aggravated by the slightly shifted character focus, but the
reality is that everyone you know and love is present and accounted for, and
enough momentum has been injected in the franchise for multiple future sequels
and spin-offs.
In terms of box office performance,
Madagascar 3 was actually in a
tightly-locked battle with Prometheus
in terms of the Friday numbers, but was able to pull away and win the weekend
with a solid $60 million debut. When it
comes to the international market, a $75.5 million worldwide haul is especially
impressive when you consider the fact that the film largely avoided opening in
Europe due to competition from the Euro Cup, drawing instead from its other 28
foreign territories. Prior to its
release, I would have thought that marketing efforts in Europe would have
written themselves with a title like “Europe’s Most Wanted,” but as I
understand it, the upcoming London Olympics made partnership possibilities a
little tight; still, the bigger European markets should set the mark for
notable debuts and strong week-to-week performances. Even though there are only two weeks before
the debut of Brave, and thus the
introduction of a direct competitor that cuts into potential audiences, I don’t
see anything less than an impressive future profit against the $145 million
production budget. Bottom line, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
offers plenty for audiences of all ages and is an absolute must-see, and I
cannot wait to see the series continue to move forward and dominate.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
