There is no more joyous noise on the planet than 100 kids laughing together.

I had forgotten about that wonderful sound in the 20 years that have passed since I worked at Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, WI, when I realized that a well-placed pie in the face was more humorous to kids than any Iran-Contra barb I could conjure up.

But the sheer happiness of unified juvenile belly laughs came back to me quickly during Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which opened this past weekend to great acclaim, judging from the thundering reception it received at the Cinemark Louis Joliet Mall theater Saturday morning.

Likewise, the entire theater chanted along at top volume to Chris Rock’s “Afro Circus” audio snippet, played heavily during previews to the movie. I can’t recall a movie sing-along in recent memory, and I don’t think the adults will croon along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” at top volume during the upcoming Rock of Ages. Well, I hope they don’t anyway, or I will hunt down Steve Perry, shave off his mullet with a rusty pocketknife and shove it up his left nostril.

I also overheard some funny conversations at the mall Saturday:

(Kid returns from bathroom before the movie starts, and screws his hand into the popcorn. Mind you this is 9:45 a.m.) Mom: That was fast. Did you wash your hands? Boy shakes his head no. Mom: That’s disgusting!

Another mom to toddler as she heads to the snack bar: Don’t move, OK?

My son Axel after one of the animals gets sick: Is he puking?

My brief synopsis: Expatriate animals, originally from the Central Park Zoo, travel from Madagascar to Monte Carlo to track down a set of monkeys. They attract the attention of a malevolent French Animal Control sect, and must join a travelling European circus to avoid incarceration.

In Monte Carlo, we’re treated to the best car chase since Steve McQueen’s quease-inducing 1968 romp through San Francisco in Bullitt.

Along the way, we get some great humor at the expense of Cirque Du Soleil (“Those Canadians think they can put on a circus without animals,” one character intones) as well as a nice theme about following ones passions.

Obligatory Who references

This movie might be the most Who-referencing picture since the documentary The Kids Are Alright. British flags are omnipresent. Captain Chantel DuBois, voiced by Frances McDormand (leader of Animal Control) drives a GS-looking scooter outfitted with multiple mirrors, eerily reminiscent of the one Jimmy drives in Quadrophenia. In Monte Carlo, meanwhile, the escaped monkeys toss a TV set out the window just like Keith Moon at the Continental Hyatt House (dubbed the “Riot House” by English rockers in the ‘70s) in Los Angeles circa 1975. Lastly, at one point, jailed Italian police officers ask, “Is that the sound of a cell door closing?” Pete Townshend in “However Much I Booze,” from 1975’s The Who By Numbers (often referred to as Pete Townshend’s suicide note), wrote: “And when the night comes down, like a cell door closing ...”

The kids’ viewpoints

It can be difficult for an adult to review a movie for kids: “The plotline of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was completely implausible,” “The dialogue in Pete’s Dragon was choppy,” “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is just way over the top and heavy-handed.”

So I am going to let my kids handle some of the review of this one.

Klara, age 9:

When the gang from Madagascar lands in Europe, Animal Control is on a wild goose chase. To stay hidden, the gang joins a traveling circus. At first, they are unfunny.

The tiger guy is amazing at the hoop jump trick. When he showers himself in olive oil and jumps through a ring-sized hoop with fire on it, he loses everything.

As Alex, Marty, Melvin, and Gloria prepare to go to New York, they reveal the secret that they are not circus animals.

Back in New York, the gang goes head-to head with the Animal Control. The leader is about to shoot Alex. To kick the leader’s butt, they perform what Alex calls “Trapeze Americano.” The leader goes back to where she lives.

It was a crazy movie, especially Marty’s “Afro Circus” dance. It made us all laugh and sing. My favorite character was the Cheetah Girl, she was cute.

Tait, age 6

It’s funny. I liked Alex (voice of Ben Stiller). Comedy means really funny.

Axel, age 6

The comedy was funny. I liked Marty (voice of Chris Rock). He was funny.

Quotable moments

“We are going to rethink everything anyone knows about the circus” — Alex

“Here’s Times Square, with its modern day corporate lack of character” — Alex

“It’s the fuzz!” — The animals upon realizing they are being chased by animal control. My kids repeated this line back to me, as an authority figure in their lives refers to the police as the fuzz.

“Cat to cat, do a solid here” — Alex to Vitaly, the temperamental Russian tiger (and once again, haven’t former citizens of the Soviet Union suffered enough? Can’t a temperamental animal be from China?)

“Has anyone ever told you you look like a supermodel? Albeit a fat hairy one who smells” — Julien (voice of Sacha Baron Choen) to a bear from the traveling circus

Other observations at the moviehouse

• Imagine the world’s best young musicians playing at the absolute precipice of their performance potential on a football field. Yes, it’s the greatest halftime show of the new millennium, and good God, it will be loud. It’s jarring to hear a familiar voice coming from a movie screen. For a moment I was confused when I heard the dulcet tones of Tom Blair, director of the upcoming Drum Corps at the Movies: 2012 DCI Tour Premier, scheduled for June 18 at a theater near you. But then I got it. Trust me, this event will have you screaming for more. Go to DCI.org right now for an unparalleled musical and visual experience — and it’s even better live!
• Why didn’t anyone think of this before? Frankenstein, Bigfoot and Dracula all meet up at the upcoming Hotel Transylvania, where Bigfoot (who I actually saw in Wisconsin) creates some serious plumbing problems. Hopefully Don Henley didn’t write the theme song.
• The previews for Despicable Me had the entire theater howling in laughter.
• So much animation is coming to theaters near us, and it all looks so much better than Prometheus and Spider-Man.