Fabulous 3D effects, No big improvements in terms of humour

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2013)

The third, and perhaps final, episode of the four friends who ran away from their zoo enclosures to experience a better life, are finally on their way back home. When Skipper the Penguin (McGrath) and his crew decide to take their warp speed travelling aircraft to Monte Carlo to win some big money, Alex the Lion (Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Rock), Melman the Giraffe (Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Smith) sense that they may never come back to fetch them. The crew decide to find them and make them go back home to NYC with King Julien the Lemur (Baron Cohen) and his sidekicks in tow. Animal Control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (McDormand) is called after the animals wreck havoc in one of the casino's and is asked to put the creatures where the belong, on her living room wall. The movie is a perfect example of 'old wine, new bottle. The main elements for which we all loved the first movie have been collected and repackaged into this brand new offering. King Julien is the same, his song is the same and the old characters seem to be there for no reason. Even Melman had no role as the 'doctor' as he always was, Gloria wasn't shown for her 'beauty' and Marty wasn't the eccentric that we loved. Its still a watchable movie, but is far from where the original epic was made.