Since circus music is pretty much the theme song to my life, I didn’t think much of it last week when my 7-year old son was prancing around the kitchen, belting out “DA-da, da-da-da-da, NDYAT-da, da-da-da, CIRCUS!!” (arms overhead, jazz hands for emphasis).
Sitting with my family this week to catch a sneak preview of the new “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” it suddenly all made sense. Fresh from the previews, the overture was from a scene featuring the hilarious Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock).
I am not a serious movie critic, so I won’t break down how captivating the animation was, the perfect soundtrack, or how the dialogue had adults slapping their old knees. If my kids love it, I love it. I was on the fence about sitting through a raucous 3-D movie with the whole family; these well-intentioned outings can be a recipe for disaster.
How good was Madagascar 3? It was so good that….
1) Our 2-year old not only sat through the movie wearing his 3-D glasses THE WHOLE TIME, but periodically laughed out loud…
2) Our 6-year old daughter, who barely made it through the latest 20-minute 3-D experience at Discovery Place in one piece, was fully involved in the “Real 3-D” experience and also laughed out loud…
3) Our 7-year old son has continued to prance about and belt out “AFRO CIRCUS!!” on a regular basis, making me laugh out loud…
4) My husband, who fancies himself a serious movie critic, was very impressed…
5) And conceded that, after a weekend of watching Madagascar 3, the “Avengers” later that night, and “Warrior” on DVD, I was right in my amateur opinion that Madagascar was the best movie of the three.
A FEW PARENT TIPS: We saw the movie at Carolina Pavilion on South Blvd. On Saturday, June 16, at 10:00am, the theater is having a “sensory-friendly” showing of the movie, with the lights on and sound turned down a bit. Call to confirm before going (1-888-AMC-4FUN). You can also catch the regular version if you think your kids won’t be up to the 3-D viewing. (I think seeing it at 10:30am on a Saturday made a huge difference in our collective enjoyment of the experience).
Also, DOLE has teamed up with Dreamworks Animation to promote their bananas. So, for kids who can’t get enough of Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, and my favorite, King Julien, you can download a FREE mobile game at www.dole.com/Madagascar to extend the magic and incept healthy eating ideas. A handy option for when your kids are driving you bananas this summer.
Madagascar 3 opens nationally this Friday, June 8.
