Shrek the Third (C or 2/4 stars)
'Shrek the Third' is the 3rd animation film (and hopefully, but probably not the last) in the Shrek series. King Harold (a frog) is awfully ill. Right before he croaks, (literally), he asks Shrek (Mike Myers) to be the new king of Far, Far Away. But because he wishes to return to his swamp with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), he kindly refuses. Apparently, there's an heir to the throne named Arthur (Justin Timberlake). Ecstatic with this news, Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), & Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas) depart to find him. In addition, as they set sail, Fiona reveals that she is pregnant! That is the gist of the plot. I chuckled a few times. But this series has long run its course. Simply put, I was bored.
Trying to find Arthur, & worrying about becoming a father, Shrek also has to worry about Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). In a scene that I didn't particularly care for, Charming gathers Rumpelstiltskin, Cpt. Hook, & many others to storm the castle. As a fan of faerie tales, I don't like some of the choices that are made for certain characters to become villainous; but I digress. Some new characters are introduced, the lands they venture to are cool-looking. And it's funny to see Fiona & her royal subjects, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty & Rapunzel muster enough estrogen to fend off Charming's coup d'etat.
The atmosphere during 'Shrek the Third' is light. Its animation is still spot on. It is cute how Fiona & her aforementioned girlfriends incorporate current day high school lingo into their usual 'thou arts' and 'hither be thys' of Old English. Donkey & Puss-in-Boots are still my favorite characters/parts in the franchise -- but they're terribly underused here. I loved meeting Donkey's children: the half-donkey/half-dragon combo is adorable & hysterical to behold. There are stolen moments of fun in the 93 min., but not enough. This version is not as clever as Shrek or Shrek 2; its wit has long gone stale.
The film is too short on everything: length, action, plot, comedy, etc. The journey Shrek takes with his pals is unexciting. And Prince Charming, as the villain, is hardly wicked. Occasional comic flourishes can't hide a fairly empty storyline. I don't want to pay $10 to see a cute Shrek movie anymore, I want & deserve greatness. If that can't be provided, then these sequels need to stop. When this film concluded, it felt like I just watched some mediocre kids special at 8 pm on CBS. Honestly, 'Shrek the Third' isn't completely hapless, it's just that its purpose (other than to make $$) is pointless.
Trying to find Arthur, & worrying about becoming a father, Shrek also has to worry about Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). In a scene that I didn't particularly care for, Charming gathers Rumpelstiltskin, Cpt. Hook, & many others to storm the castle. As a fan of faerie tales, I don't like some of the choices that are made for certain characters to become villainous; but I digress. Some new characters are introduced, the lands they venture to are cool-looking. And it's funny to see Fiona & her royal subjects, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty & Rapunzel muster enough estrogen to fend off Charming's coup d'etat.
The atmosphere during 'Shrek the Third' is light. Its animation is still spot on. It is cute how Fiona & her aforementioned girlfriends incorporate current day high school lingo into their usual 'thou arts' and 'hither be thys' of Old English. Donkey & Puss-in-Boots are still my favorite characters/parts in the franchise -- but they're terribly underused here. I loved meeting Donkey's children: the half-donkey/half-dragon combo is adorable & hysterical to behold. There are stolen moments of fun in the 93 min., but not enough. This version is not as clever as Shrek or Shrek 2; its wit has long gone stale.
The film is too short on everything: length, action, plot, comedy, etc. The journey Shrek takes with his pals is unexciting. And Prince Charming, as the villain, is hardly wicked. Occasional comic flourishes can't hide a fairly empty storyline. I don't want to pay $10 to see a cute Shrek movie anymore, I want & deserve greatness. If that can't be provided, then these sequels need to stop. When this film concluded, it felt like I just watched some mediocre kids special at 8 pm on CBS. Honestly, 'Shrek the Third' isn't completely hapless, it's just that its purpose (other than to make $$) is pointless.