The culmination of the “Madagascar” trilogy (not counting franchise spin-offs), 2012’s “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” picks up where its predecessor left off. With a stopover in Monte Carlo, fan-favorite characters carve a path of mayhem and mayhem across Europe, hunted by the authorities. And with the gang of free beasts now on the hunt, the stakes have never been higher for rogue animals.
There’s a certain sense of irony here that while “Madagascar 3” is the best movie in the franchise, it’s also the one that gives Chris Rock’s Marty the least to do. Marty was the main character in the film series, taking the lead in much of the film’s marketing, but in “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”, he was cast in a more reactive role. Still, “Madagascar 3” solidly holds the landing as the best of the animated trilogy, with a globe-trotting energy much like “The Great Muppet Caper.”