Despite a summer filled with some really exciting blockbuster movies there really is a void this year in flicks that parents with non-teen children can feel comfortable taking their kids to enjoy. Fortunately, Madagascar 3 has hit theaters and it’s a fun romp of an adventure that will amuse kids and kids at heart alike.We recently saw the movie with our twin 3 year olds and it thrilled the kids. In fact, I was pretty engrossed with it as well. My wife left during the movie to use the restroom and I didn’t even realize it until she mentioned something on the car ride home. All the children in the audience appeared to be excited by the animals that are the stars of the show and enjoy the slap stick comedy that is a cornerstone of the Madagascar series of movies. Don’t worry though, you can never have seen the first two movies and completely enjoy this chapter by itself. In addition to the onscreen antics of some mischievous monkeys & penguins and comedic adventures of Alex the Lion and his band of friends, there are some very hilarious jokes aimed at the adults in the audience that probably go over the head of most kids as not to offend and keep the movie family-friendly. And that’s no Bolshevik! (You’ll get this last line if you watch the movie – one of the best one-liners of the show that had every adult in the theater cracking up)
The movie is in 3D and I was impressed by the graphics. In many of the 3D movies I’ve seen so far the effects add more dimension than in your face special effects. Madagascar 3 is in your face! My daughter was constantly reaching out to grasp at animals that appeared to be within arms grasp and yelling out WOW! throughout the movie. One thing to note though is that wearing the 3D glasses can be a little tiresome for young kids and I noticed many of the children in the audience that appeared to be preschool/kindergarten age were taking them off by the last half hour or so of the show, including my two. Despite that, I would still encourage you to check out the 3D versus the 2D version of the film just for the WOW factor alone of the film’s special effects.Madagascar 3 characters travel from Africa to Monte Carlo and across Europe from Italy and London. The show incorporates a new cast of characters and adventures through introducing a circus theme that really works well. One of the final circus acts really highlights the 3D technology and cartoon features of the movie to the backdrop of Katie Perry’s “Fireworks” making for a really incredible experience.
If you are a parent with younger children looking for a good family-friendly show to go see this summer, I highly recommend a trip to Madagascar 3.
DISCLAIMER: I received free tickets from Paramount Pictures to see Madagascar 3 with my family. The views and opinions in this blog post though are entirely my own.
