Madagasacar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

On that note, Frank Welker is Sonya the Bear.

I love hearing that guy!

He always makes good animal noises.

Is it me, or does Mort look like a squirrel?

A chibi squirrel, yes. It's in the tail.

He's a pygmy mouse, or something like it.

Frank also voices a bear in a recent Adventuretime episode. He's the best cartoon bear!

edited 17th Jun '12 6:29:05 PM by Shota

Hmm, who else are the circus members? There're these dogs who are actually dudes and there are those horses (one even sporting Rarity costume design lol)

There are two elephants who don't talk, Sonya the bear, three female horses, and five puppies in funny outfits who are all actually British ruffians (I think they may be inspired by British comedies).

I don't want to start a flame war, but I just got a wierd opinion from a friend and I'd like to know what you think.

This guy told me the story was full of anti-european propaganda, showing Europe like a partially decayed place, that only the American characters could save.

I haven't seen the film, so I can't judge, but it sounds kind of harsh to the movie.

What do you think?

Sounds like someone who works at FOX News.

Nope, it's actually a very anti Hollywood, anti USA kind of guy. No wonder his opinion could be quite biased. Still, I just wondered if it could have a little truth in it

That's explains EVERYTHING.

I know it's easy to hate America when you're from another country, but please don't make people around you worry about it! I had this one Russian college classmate who would get pissed at anyone who hummed any kind of patriotic song to themselves! Dude! You're not the only one living her ya know!

edited 20th Jun '12 4:32:23 PM by Shota

Well, Alex isn't even a real American, he was born in Africa, and if I remember Part 2 right, the others were brought from Africa as babies as well. Julien and Maurice were born and raised in Madagascar.

Say, as long as we're being nitpicky, let's go all the way...

IIRC, the origins of the other zoosters are left ambiguous.

Even though I have yet to see the movie, your friend's viewpoint sounds rather silly. Especially considering that in the end, the European characters save the American ones.

Just saw the film.

It was more fun than I expected. After liking the first but not the second, I was a bit wary, especially that all the new characters might steal the spotlight. But it has the same inventiveness -and manic energy- that made the first so fun. And it actually succeeds at being moving when it tried to. Best of all it FINALLY picks up the storyline from the the first movie (eg. the animals wanting to go home) and even resolves it!

Though it had a few things that did irritate me: Dubuois, with her unexplained superhuman abilities and evil fanaticism (though she was used in very fun ways I admit); The Penguins (they REALLY abandoned the rest of the cast in Africa? I guess they ARE a bunch of selfish jerks after all!); King Julien (never liked him, and his romance with a bear, even less) and the joke with the kid who got stuck in an elephant's butt? Come on, this movie doesn't need that kind of humor!

But overall, the movie was a fun ride, with surprisingly good FX (I actually regret not watching it in 3D) and a satisfying conclusion. Too bad I suspect this will be the last Madagascar movie (they could continue them, of course, but there really isn't a goal for them to achieve. Except escaping Dubuois' revenge, I guess.)

edited 20th Jun '12 7:38:29 PM by Sijo

The penguins didn't abandon them; Alex only thought they had. Skipper makes a comment about "picking up the hippies" while gambling.

But Skipper also said "Just kidding! We're NEVER goin' back!" That prompted Alex to fear being stuck in Africa for the rest of his life, and led to the 4 of them retrieving the penguins.

edited 20th Jun '12 8:54:14 PM by Shota

I figured that the whole beginning was a dream sequence (warp speed, anybody?), and that was really just Alex's imagination acting up.

The opening COULD have been part of the dream sequence, I guess; it certainly would explain a few things. But the movie didn't make it clear, or if it did I missed it (I certainly don't recall the part where Skipper says they were going to pick them up after all- but I could just have missed it, there was too much going on.)

Btw, add that to my list of complaints about the film: too many things started happening just because the story needed them to- the animals apparently swimming their way to Monaco (!), Dubois smashing walls like she was The Hulk, etc. Yes, I know this is just a cartoon, and a particularly silly one, but come on, even most cartoons don't contradict themselves in their basic premises (eg. why didn't the animals swim to America then, or why didn't Dubois smash her way out of Jail, etc.) Rule of Funny only goes so far.

edited 21st Jun '12 5:56:04 PM by Sijo

Someone elsewhere online said the main flaw of the film is that it makes itself rules and breaks them. The reason the humor in the old Looney Tunes shorts work well is because the story people set rules for themselves on what ideas they could and couldn't use. The famous list of rules for the coyote/road runner shorts are a great example. Here, the traveling circus is supposedly financially struggling, yet they managed to put on an expansive set like a neon Cirque Du Sole on acid after only practicing?

They get a pass because that scene is awesome so shut up.

Until the AIRSHIP, I'd actually assumed the neon lighting and crap was Disney Acid at work.

Don't get me wrong. I also thought the London circus was the best part of the film.

The circus wasn't out of money; the zoo animals were, after spending it all on the circus. The circus however was out of ideas (and passion) which the Zoo gang provided (though I do agree that they mastered the new stunts too fast.) Also, remember that by when they get to America, they have a new, probably very rich entrepreneur.

Animals: "Hey we got this new idea called Afro Circus. It's wild, but that's what we are!" American Sponsor: "AH' LUV IT!"

It was during the casino, he mentions it that they're going to go back once they've swindled enough money.