Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer
Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Run Time: 93 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
When it comes to the “Madagascar” franchise, they are nothing but plain and simple fun. The third film in the series “Europe’s Most Wanted” is definitely the biggest and most ambitious. This film was released in 3D in theaters and really looked nice within the format. We are reviewing the 2D version of the film here and it still is entertaining with the third dimension effects. If you are a fan of the series and looking to escape for a few minutes, while keeping the kiddies entertained this will be the film for you. Since this installment takes place in a circus, this release comes with a Rainbow Wig, so you can party like Marty! If you are a fan, there is still lots more to come. “The Penguins of Madagascar” feature-film should be next in 2015, followed by “Madagascar 4”. So stay tuned!
Official Synopsis: Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.
“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” comes in a sweet Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy + UltraViolet release, along with Marty’s Rainbow Wig. The star of the film has to be the audio track included, which is Dolby TrueHD 7.1. It really works with the films music and action scenes, which there is quite a bit of both. The special features are also quite impressive. Under the category of “High Flying Fun”, we have Filmmakers’ Commentary, Big Top Cast, Deleted Scenes, Mad Music Mash-Up and Circus Acts. All of these features are flashy, fun and even great for kids. There are three deleted scenes including, “Melman Picks a Circus Act”, “Next Performance: New York City” and “Lion Meets Venom”, fun but well cut. Lastly there are two featurettes “The Animators’ Corner” and
“Get Them to the Train”, as well as a trivia track included.