Okay, so this comes a few years late, but in my boredom search on Netflix the other day, I found myself clicking on Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – a movie I haven’t seen in a few years. However, I figured that since I was bored, having a mindless laugh or two would be decent.
Still, I found myself laughing often and the movie turned out to be much more enjoyable than I thought. So, let’s take a look back at ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’, and why it was actually a really funny movie all along.
1. The plot is literally ridiculous
The plot of Madagascar 3 is actually really ridiculous when you boil it down to its main points, which I will obviously do:
- Penguins travel to Monaco so Skipper can go on a honeymoon with his Hawaiian doll wife
- Alex, Marty, Melvin, Gloria and the Lemurs chase after them by swimming to Monaco
- Monaco Animal Control goes after them, led by their psychotic Captain Chantel DuBois
- The main characters buy a circus
- They travel across Europe and then to New York because they’re wanted
- Captain DuBois gets defeated
- They still own a circus, I guess
Yeah, that’s the main plot points. It’s quite literally one of the weirdest, silliest plots ever, but it works somehow. That’s the issue: It works really well.
And you also have to sprinkle in some random things on the side. For example, King Julien falls in love with a bear and steals the Pope’s ring. There are dogs that have British accents and ride on jetpack-powered roller skates. Alex somehow learns the trapeze. The circus is run and owned by animals, somehow.
Nobody said it had to make sense though.
2. DuBois is basically a serial killer
The main antagonist of Madagascar 3 is Captain Chantel DuBois of Monaco Animal Control and she’s basically just a serial killer all along. She brags about how she would torture and kill animals as a kid.
This is obviously passed off as comedy, but realizing how dark it actually is…it was a very interesting realization.
Related: Call of Duty, you’ve done it again. I’m excited for Modern Warfare II.
Throughout the entire film, she is obsessed with hunting Alex because her ultimate goal is to kill a lion. Some people want to be doctors, others YouTubers, but DuBois wants to kill a lion. Everyone is unique, I guess.
3. The Penguins hate workers
The Penguins are probably one of the best parts of any Madagascar film. They’re a one-man army that operates like a clandestine operation and they’re hilarious.
Skipper often makes funny comments about working and capitalism when the Chimps claim that the other monkeys want maternity leave and to form a union, I guess. Skipper refers to these things as the “Canadian work ethic.” Sorry, Canadians.
4. Kowalski built a car with a nuclear reactor
Speaking of the Penguins, Kowalski–the brains of the operation–built a nuclear reactor inside of a car. Oh, excuse me, “nucular,” according to Skipper.
I’m not sure how Kowalski managed to do this, but the fact that they built it into a car is downright hilarious.
The entire car chase scene between Monaco Animal Control and the main characters was literally one of the best things ever. That scene doesn’t get old no matter how many times I’ve seen it.
5. Trapeze Americano becomes a reality
While Alex explains his role in the Central Park Zoo to convince the circus animals that he’s actually circus, the other characters pitch in to…let’s just say…complicate his act.
Alex just tells them about the classic “jump on a rock and roar” stunt, but Melvin, Marty, and Gloria decide to add some fluff to the story. Basically, they explain that he jumps into a pool with aquatic cobras, activates a jet pack, and tosses balloons to the children of the world.
This, according to the circus seal, Stefano, is like “trapeeze Americano.”
Somehow, by the end of the film, this becomes a reality with Katy Perry’s “Baby you’re a firework” playing in the background.
Conclusions
So, after all that, ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ is clearly a masterpiece of a film. It’s got funny, ridiculous, and downright stupid plot points, but it’s actually a great film to watch when you really just want to laugh at something.
Honestly, animation films can be really quality entertainment.
Let us know in the comments below if you went back to watch this film and what you thought about it.
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Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
