Pace and the circus atmosphere are the highilghts of early reviews on Madagascar 3, which was presented at the Croisette.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted was presented at the 65th Cannes film festival, as part of its out-of-competition programme.

This time the plot (co-written by the Greenberg filmmaker Noah Baumbach and Eric Darnell) has the characters travel  in a circus throughout Europe, starting from Monte Carlo and culminating in London.

Variety reports that Madagascar 3 is "powered by a dazzling circus act, a gaggle of goofy accents and a fresh dose of action-adventure silliness".  Reviewer Justin Chang approves its well-modulated pace and its eye-popping visuals, even though fans of the stereoscopic might find the 3D application far from subtle.

Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter disagrees on the film's pace, finding the film "not only extra-dimensional but extra-loud, extra-antic and extra-frenetic". It is hardly a disappointment, though.

The inclusion of two new characters, the  French  DuBois (voiced by Frances McDormand), and Gia (voiced by Jessica Chastain) is a welcome addition, even though Noah Baumbach's script has none of the sensibilities of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Watch the latest Madagascar 3 trailer:

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Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted has its US release on June 8, 2012.