Shrek The Third

May 22, 2007

Rated: PG Runtime: 92 min Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

There’s a trend in having the third movie in a series more kid-friendly. ROBOCOP III, MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME, CROCODILE DUNDEE IN LOS ANGELES are examples.

The SHREK series are for kids, but they’ve always had humor that was aimed at adults as well. In this third movie, everything is a little more cuddly. Everyone has been domesticated, including not only the ogre but the fire-breathing dragon!

The first SHREK movie was Meet Cute. SHREK II was Meet the Parents. Now it’s Knocked Up.

Fiona is pregnant, and Shrek fears he won’t be a good parent. Or at least, he makes a few vague statements in that direction which doesn’t drive the story at all. The story: with the Frog-King dead, Shrek is the heir to the throne. He goes on a quest for Artie, a young prince who has been sent off to school elsewhere. Artie has a magician named…Merlin. Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, Prince Charming has gathered up all the Bad Guys and stormed the castle. Fiona, and all the other princesses at her baby-shower, have to go all Die Hard.

Nobody seems to have any big conflicts in this movie that aren’t quickly resolved, and the good guys don’t seem to have much trouble overcoming the opposition.

That Fiona and Shrek are going to have kids is a logical step in the third of the trilogy, but this doesn’t do anything with the idea.

The animation is still amazing… except that, we’ve seen it twice before, so it’s not so amazing anymore. Also, there aren’t any really spectacular action sequences in this, to compare with scenes like the Dragon’s Lair sequence in the first movie.

The comedy isn’t unfunny, it’s just sort of pleasant. Chuckles and grins instead of guffaws.

The only bit that really stood out was Princess Sleeping Beauty being narcoleptic.

Kids will still probably enjoy this, but adults may find themselves a little restless.

Posted by Mack Guffin | Filed Under 2 Stars, Action, Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Comedy, Eddie Murphy, Julie Andrews, Mike Myers, PG, Theatrical