I am hoping this is the end to this series.....

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2012)

.....and I mean this in a good way. If Dreamworks ends this series with this film, then they have ended a fun franchise on a positive note.
The film begins with Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria still in Africa with the penguins taking the plane to Monte Carlo to hit up the casinos big time and promising they will return. However, the penguins never come back and the four heroes end up growing old in Africa. This turns out to be a recurring nightmare for Alex. After this, the four decide to go to Monte Carlo themselves and track down the penguins themselves.
When their plan goes awry and they are seen by tourists, Captain DuBois, a French animal control expert makes it her mission to track down the animals, and more specifically, Alex. In order to keep themselves hidden away from DuBois, the four heroes, along with the monkeys, King Julien, Maurice, and Mort, all stumble upon a European traveling circus. They find out that this circus may be their ticket back to their home in New York.
The story is a fun and interesting one, with some hilarious jokes and unexpected plot twists. The script was written by co-director Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach, whose previous writing credits include Fantastic Mr. Fox and the Ben Stiller starring vehicle Greenberg. They do a great job of keeping this story interesting.
Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith all return to voice their respective characters for the third time and continue to do their jobs well.
There are two standouts in this cast, who are also two new arrivals. Bryan Cranston voices Vitaly, a circus tiger with a bitter outlook on life and is not interested in having anything to do with Alex. The other big standout is Frances McDormand as Captain DuBois, who will stop at nothing until she has captured Alex and has his head on her mantle.
The film has three directors: Darnell, Tom McGrath, and Conrad Vernon. These three all do a great job of keeping the story together. There is never a boring moment in the film. They also do an excellent job of sticking to the story in the film and letting it control how the film goes.
As a family film, both the kids and the adults will enjoy it. The kids will get some enjoyment out of seeing the animals on screen. The parents will enjoy this for a good story.