By Dave Montalbano
AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com
As the locally-produced Rock of Ages floats into Summertime box office oblivion, it seems as if you have to be a team of superheroes (Marvel’s The Avengers) or animated characters (Madagascar 3, Brave) to have any box office traction this summer.
Released three weeks ago, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted finds our heroes, Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) enjoying the easy life living in Africa.
Yet, the four friends miss their zoo in Manhattan. Consulting with the penguins, the four heroes revamp their makeshift aeroplane and decide to cross the Atlantic.
Of course, things go wrong and the four friends crash land in a Monte Carlo Casino. The intrepid Captain Chantel Du Bois (Frances McDormand) gives chase … and chase … and chase … until the film’s conclusion.
The visuals are fantastic and Chris Rock’s one-liners are being quoted on the street. Children will be engaged for the hour and a half, but adults will be checking their watches.
Brave is Disney/Pixar’s 13th release. Given this partnership’s box office returns and Oscars on the shelf, one feels a sense of diminishing returns with Brave.
Set in mythical Scotland, Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald) is an un-ladylike tomboy, much to the displeasure of the queen (Emma Thompson). Seeking to enhance the bonds between the three regimes, t h e k i n g ( B i l l y C o n n o l y ) o f f e r s h i s daughter’s hand in marriage. The clichés kick in and with a spoonful of supernatural occurrences, it makes for an entertaining afternoon for mothers and daughters.
