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"Circus afro polka dot polka dot circus" pretty much tells you everything you need to know.

Kim Hollis: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted opened to $60.3 million this weekend. What do you think of this result?

Matthew Huntley: The phrase "perfectly in line with expectations" comes to mind, as this is neither a colossal opening nor a disappointing one. Paramount/DreamWorks' likable Madagascar series has always been a solid performer at the box-office, even though it's never gone above and beyond like, say, Toy Story or Shrek, as far as computer animations go. The third installment's $60 million opening simply continues that trend and it's probably enough to warrant another sequel, especially when international figures start rolling in and the studio(s) start reaping the benefits of the highly lucrative ancillary markets. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm willing to bet it delivers more or less what people want and expect - jokes, slapstick, action, adventure, romance, etc. - especially for this time of year. Essentially, the Madagascar movies follow a tried-and-true formula, but they follow it well. Their box-office numbers reflect that.

Bruce Hall: If your fortunes are tied to Madagascar, you have to like the fact that this opening is within nominal range of the first two installments (which opened at about $61 and 63 million, respectively). This is not something we'll be talking about two weeks from now but it's a very solid first place finish. It's getting good reviews, too. This does not suck at all for DreamWorks.

Jason Barney: This has to be seen as a win for Paramount and DreamWorks. Prior to last weekend when Snow White put a little bit of life back into the box office, things had been pretty slow. MI3 did all right. Battleship was a big disappointment. Chernobyl Diaries is virtually already gone from theaters. Dark Shadows was a flop. The Five-Year Engagement didn't pull in the numbers it was supposed to. What to Expect When You're Expecting didn't impress. So there has been a pretty dry run the last several weeks. Just putting the opening numbers up against the entire runs of some of those other films indicates there is a lot more support for this product.

Also consider there was pent up need for a family film. The Lorax was the last animated hit in theaters, and that opened all the way back on March 2nd. Lorax opened to about $70 million, so Madagascar 3 did pretty well bringing in $60 million. The Pirates! Band of Misfits didn't really fill the need, so now after several weeks of action, adventure, and fantasy films, this is a movie that families can go to.

Madagascar 3 is the fourth best opening of 2012. It had a budget of $145 million. Other studios have spent a lot more and had far worse openings. It will easily make its budget back.

I haven't seen it yet, but along the family film vein, I will be taking my seven-year-old son this weekend.

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