Madagascar's third go-round is hardly fresh, but it never stints on energy or vivid colors.
It's a family movie (**½ out of four; rated PG; opens Friday nationwide) that could benefit from some modulation, however. Set at a frenzied pace meant to connote fun, it mostly feels like a frenetic spectacle.
The notion of transplanted city zoo animals in the wilds of Africa had worn thin in 2008's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (the sequel to 2005's charming original where they landed on the titular island). This installment finds the scrappy quartet of Manhattan zoo denizens leaving Madagascar for Monte Carlo, following after their monkey and penguin pals who sailed there on a gambling holiday. The big-city foursome cover plenty of European ground, joining forces with a traveling circus.
Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) is the leader of his zoo buddies: gabby zebra Marty (Chris Rock), sassy hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and neurotic giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer). Also along for the adventures — as in the last sequel — are a gaggle of penguins and a babbling lemur known as King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen), who falls in love with a giant bear on a bicycle in an enjoyably loopy segment.
This franchise has its inherent appeal. The series continues to focus on the value of friendships, new and old, and on imagination and resourcefulness. But the film's antic, loud style and rather dull plot isn't likely to bowl over kids. Jokes about Cirque du Soleil and Mia Farrow are likely to sail right over young heads. On the other hand, a reference to a "stinky poopy circus," while hardly clever, should make some of the youngest moviegoers chortle.
Bits of songs from the original are reprised, though their initial silly charm is waning.
Some of the acrobatic circus feats lend themselves to the 3-D format, such as animals pulling off trapeze stunts, high-diving and sailing through the air with fireworks as a backdrop. But mostly it feels like a studio cashing in on the ubiquitous trend.
Now that the franchise has covered three continents, can this mean there are four more movies in Madgascar's future? There's a big world available, but it might help if the filmmakers allow the critters to slow down and enjoy the journey.
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