Culture

I arrive at the theatre with great anticipation, unopened popcorn on my lap, just waiting for the ready-set-go. I haven’t seen a kids’ movie since way back, and nothing is better than trailers to get you in the mood. But we all remember the sheer awesomeness of Madagascar, right? Let’s move it!

Madagascar 3 continues the story of the gang of former Central Park zoo animals shipwrecked in Madagascar. The cosmopolitan zoo animals can no longer tolerate the thought of being stuck in Africa. Times Square’s “modern corporate lack of character” is a happy thought for Alex, who continues to reminisce about his days of bygone fame. Some friends of the gang, the penguins, are in Montecarlo, and hold the key to getting them back to New York. Instead of waiting for the penguins, the animals decide they will make their own way to Montecarlo.

I expected that we would spend half the movie following the animals to Europe. This didn’t happen, and my post-teenage brain started to analyse the narrative and logical sequence of the film. A 12-year-old might find it normal that they crossed the second-largest continent and swam to Europe without any problems, and that from there the four went from action scene to action scene without a breather. My mind couldn’t handle all the excitement at once, and I can’t help but think that most kids would get dizzy too.

In fact, most of the pop culture references in the film would go straight over most children’s heads. The film borrows elements from Mission:Impossible, The Matrix, old-school music, and James Bond’s exciting trip through Europe.

But hey, maybe kids these days are much smarter these days – you know, the Flynn Effect and all that jazz. Watch it for the old times?

2.5 / 5 stars