I've never been keen on 3D
movies.
But then, my
experiences have been limited to old classics and pie-throwing B-rated
comedies.
Now that I've
seen "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," which opens in theaters
June 8, I can understand why they're so popular.
The effects were
fantastico, as Stefano the Seal (Martin Short) would say.
I caught myself
several times gasping, ducking and swerving flying debris, even imagining
myself snorkeling in the cool blue waters of Monte Carlo Bay.
 |
| Dreamworks |
It is here that
the Zoosters, including Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris
Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the Giraffe (David
Schwimmer) begin their quest to find the penguins and chimps, so they can
return to the life they knew at New York's Central Park Zoo.
The original
"Madagascar" (2005) and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" were
not created in 3D, but they could have been.
"Because of
the films' comedic tone, we were often doing things that put stuff out in front
of the camera," said writer and co-director Eric Darnell, in a report
released to the press. "Once we recognized that our cinematography and our
comedy really lent themselves beautifully to the 3D world, we really didn't
have to change much of what we were doing. But taking our animals into a circus
automatically give us these wonderful opportunities - we're moving not just
across the surface of the earth, we're moving up in the air, flipping, rolling
and flying - to work in 3D, of course."
In agreement is
co-director Tom McGrath (DreamWorks Animation had a trifecta of directorial
talent working on this including Conrad Vernon). "3D just gives you so
many more tools to work with. It's immersive. You can underscore an emotional
scene as much as you can the action."
Special effects
alone, however, do not make for a good movie. It is the screenplay (Eric
Darnell and Noah Baumbach) and musical score (Hans Zimmer) - that had the guy
to my right laughing aloud and the girl to my left dancing in her seat - that
make it worth the cost of tickets, glasses and popcorn. I could have done
without the Cirque du Soleil and French Canadian witticisms, which fell so flat
even an English Canadian couldn't peel them off the floor.
“Madagascar 3:
Europe’s Most Wanted,” rated PG, will be showing in most theaters June 8. 3
stars out of 4.
DAYTRIPPING
Summer movies and
garage sales, art shows and a visit by the "Dark Knight's" Tumbler
and Bat-Pod, check out our listing of family-friendly events going on in the
Detroit area, below:
Batman vehicle
tour
Fans who have
been eagerly awaiting the release of "The Dark Knight Rises: will have an
opportunity to see the Tumbler and Bat-Pod, when the coast-to-coast tour makes
its stop in Detroit: June 15 (12 p.m.- 6 p.m.), Bloomfield Township Public
Library, 4200 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills; June 18 (1:30-7:30 p.m.),
Rochester Hills Public Library, 500 Olde Towne Rd., Rochester; June 19 (12
p.m.- 6p.m.), Troy Public Library, 510 West Big Beaver Rd., Troy; June 20 (10
a.m.-4 p.m.), Novi Public Library, 45255 West 10 Mile Road., Novi.
Cruisin' Gratiot
festivities
The 14th annual
Cruisin' Gratiot returns to the City of Eastpointe, with events going on June
12-16. Visit www.cruisin-gratiot.com for further details.
Historical
Society
Chesterfield
Historical Society hosts Ste. Claire Voyageurs (1750s-era French fur trade
re-enactors) from Lake St. Clair Metropark, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 9, at
Chesterfield Historical Village Green, 47275 Sugarbush Road north of 21 Mile
Road. Admission $1 adults, $2 family; refreshments available for purchases. Call
586-749-3713.
Antique appraisal
Warren Historical
Society presents Antiques Appraisal Fair and bake sale, June 9 at Warren
Community Center cafeteria, 5460 Arden. Bake sale begins 9 a.m., appraisals and
"Radio Rescue" by Michigan Antique Radio Club, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Only
items that can be carried or photos of large items accepted, no stamps, coins
or guns. Appraisals and rescues $5 per item.
Garage sale
Giant Garage
Sale, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 14-15, at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church and
Cultural Center and Assumption Nursery School and Toddler Center, 21800 Marter
Road, St. Clair Shores. Food and baked goods also available. Call 586-779-6111
ext. 3.
Country breakfast
Jefferson Chapter
No. 489 Order of Eastern Star serves an all-you-can eat country breakfast, 9
a.m.-1 p.m. Father's Day, June 17, at the Jefferson Masonic Temple, 22000 11
Mile Road, St. Clair Shores. Adult admission $6, ages 6-12 $3, free 5 and
younger. Call 586-777-0043.
Bead sale
Eastwood Rebekah
Lodge No. 499 selling Beads for Breast Cancer during the Gratiot Cruise, 6-9
p.m. June 15 and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. June 16, at the Oddfellows Hall, 23322
Gratiot, Eastpointe. Proceeds to Karmanos Cancer Institute. Call 586-489-5073.
Bowling benefit
Fundraiser to
help the Jeffrey Family in its cancer battle, June 10 at Imperial Lanes in
Clinton Township. Doors open 1 p.m., bowling 2 p.m., admission $20 adults, $10
ages 11 and younger, includes three games bowling, shoe rental, pizza and soft
drinks, $10 for non-bowlers includes food; call 586-949-2191 or 586-202-4489.
Historical
encampment
War in the
Wilderness encampment with re-enactors representing British and French military
and Woodland Indians of the 1750-60s, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June
17, at Stony Creek Metropark in Washington Township. Free with park admission,
$25 annual, $15 seniors, or $5 daily. Call 586-781-4242.
Pancake breakfast
Utica Lions Club
serve annual pancake breakfast, 8 a.m.-noon June 17, at Grant Park, north of
M-59 east on Hahn Street.
Jazz luncheon
Oakland
University Jazz Ensemble performs June 19 during a 1-3 p.m. luncheon June 19 at
the Older Persons' Commission, 650 Letica, Rochester. Admission $10. To
register, 248-608-0251.
Shores Library
Upcoming programs
at the St. Clair Shores Public Library, 22500 11 Mile Road, include free
"Classic Movie Fridays," through June 29; free Tea Party Fashion
Show, 2 p.m. June 14, registration required; Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum's
Annual Garden Tea Party, 2-4 p.m. June 20, at the museum behind the library, $3
adults, 50 cents for children. To register or for program information,
586-771-9020 or www.scslibrary.org. Also, summer reading club begins with open
house 6-8 p.m. June 5 for children to pick up reading logs and make a craft;
registrations accepted through July 27.
Wheel 'n' Deal
Free outdoor
Wheel 'n' Deal flea market, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. June 9, in parking lot of Grosse
Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lakeshore Road, Grosse Pointe Farms. Event takes place
rain or shine; refreshments available.
Warren Library
Upcoming events
at Warren Civic Center Library include: "Gaming 2nd Saturdays" for
teens, 2-4 p.m. June 9; Make a Kite Night for ages 5-11 and their caregivers,
6:30 p.m. June 11; Teen Summer Reading Club Kick-off, 6-9 p.m. June 16; Children's
Summer Reading Club Kick-off, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 16. Also, "Sleeping
Beauty" puppet show, 6:30 p.m. June 21; mini-makeover night, 6 p.m. June
27 for 12-17 years; Friends from the Farm Night, 6:30 p.m. June 28. All
programs at the library in Warren City Hall, two blocks east of Van Dyke, north
of 12 Mile Road; registration required for some sessions, call 586-751-0770.
Music Day
Free Music
Awareness Day that includes live performances and professional musicians
providing workshops on different music styles, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. June 9, at Lake
Shore High School. To register, email rameysj@gmail.com.
Angels' Place
Cocnert to
benefit Angels' Place, 8 p.m. June 9, at St. Andrew Church, 1400 Inglewood,
Rochester. Entertainment by Mark Tisdel and Phyllis Bengry. Free, donations accepted.
Angels' Place provides Christian homes and services for adults with
developmental disabilities. For information, 248-350-2203 or
www.angelsplace.com.
Leaps &
Bounds
Early childhood
education training programs for caregivers and parents, 9:15-11 a.m. Wednesdays
at Early Childhood Center, 24580 Cunningham, Center Line, and 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Thursdays at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 8129 Packard, Warren, sponsored by
non-profit Leaps & Bounds Family Services. For complete schedule,
313-402-0802 or 586-675-0451.
Meadow Brook
tours
Summer tours at
Meadow Brook Hall on the Oakland University Campus in Rochester are under way
at 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. A new architecture tour includes
interior and exterior highlights of the design and construction process, 1 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays; Behind-The-Scenes tours
that include the staff wing are noon and 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and
Sundays; each tour admission is $15 adults, $10 seniors, free ages 12 and younger.
Twilight Tuesdays are 6-9 p.m. June 12, July 13 and Aug. 28, $10 adults, free
ages 12 and younger. Call 248-364-6200 or go to www.meadowbrookhall.org.
Summer sounds
Concerts/dancing
at Lake St. Clair Metropark take place 6:30-10 p.m. Sundays throughout the
summer, June 10 Rhythm Society orchestra; June 17 Rich Eddy's Rockin' Oldies,
June 24 Dr. Pocket. Programs free with Metropark vehicle entry permit, $25
season, $15 ages 62 and older, or $5 daily. Visit www.metroparks.com or call
586-463-4581.
Grosse Pointe
Village Association's Music on The Plaza free outdoor jazz concert series
presented by St. John Hospital & Medical Center, 7 p.m. Thursdays through
Aug. 2, on Village Festival Plaza at Kercheval and St. Clair in downtown Grosse
Pointe. Call 313-886-7474 or www.thevillagegp.com.
On stage
Gospel musical
comedy "Smoke on the Mountain" plays 2 and 8 p.m. June 10, at the Box
Theatre in downtown Mount Clemens. For tickets $25, a portion of proceeds
benefit Cystic Fibrosis Support Network of Michigan, call 586-329-6570 or go to
www.centerstagemacomb.com.
Detroit Repertory
Theatre premieres "Taking Care of Mimi," Thursday through Sunday,
through June 24, at the theater, 13103 Woodrow Wilson, Detroit. For tickets,
313-868-1347 or www.detroitreptheatre.com.
Stagecrafters
presents "the Bad Seed," Thursdays through Sundays, through June 17,
at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak. Advance tickets $16 and
$18 at www.stagecrafters.org or 248-541-6430, or at box office one hour before
showtime for additional $2 per ticket.
"Robocop:
The Musical" 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, through Aug. 3, at Go Comedy!
Improv Theater, 261 Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. Tickets $15. Visit
www.gocomedy.net.
Joint general
auditions for 11 area theaters, including The Box theatre, Ringwald Theatre, Matrix
Theatre Co., take place 5:30-10 p.m. June 12-14, at the Two Muses Theatre
inside the Barnes & Noble, 6800 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield. For
appointments, frannie@magentagiraffe.org. Also, Gay Play Series gets runs June
15-25 at the theater. For schedule information and tickets, go to
www.TheRingwald.com.
Art shows
Paint Creek
Center for the Arts Student and Faculty Art Show, through June 22 at the
Center, 407 Pine St., Rochester. Opening reception 7-9 p.m. June 8; show hours
9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
Call 248-651-4110.
No comments:
Post a Comment