Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Gotta admit, this one surprised me. Especially after the 2nd film in the franchise. It felt like it should just be left to die. Perhaps Noah Baumbach, who's name I spied as writer, had something to do with it. Or perhaps it's because they felt like there were no expectations and they could just have fun with it. Because that's what it feels like. They have abandoned all pretexts of trying to develop these characters and their story beyond bare essentials and instead have focused on creating wildly cartoonish, fast paced 3D eye candy and I thought it was most entertaining.

This film has the BEST use of 3d I've seen in an animated film this year. A must see in 3d. They really use every inch of the depth and even use it for gags.

Now when the obligatory dramatic story beats in the 2nd and 3rd acts kick in it does get very ho hum. They try to brush past it as fast as they can but it doesn't change the fact that it feels like the fact they were trying to tell a story at all kills everything else that was working so well about it.

But the 3rd act circus sequences completely abandon any semblance of reality and go fully stylised into a hyper coloured 3d acrobatic animated assault and it's neat. It made me giddy, like a good sugar hit should. I think it was just what I needed today.

Won't stand the test of time but I actually quite enjoyed watching this one. Because it knows how to be fun.