Running time: 92 minutes
Rating 7 out of 10
Clearly abiding by the maxim: If it ain't broke, don't fix it; it's business as usual for the jolly green ogre. There may be a new director in the chair, but little else has changed, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because the first two Shrek movies were thoroughly entertaining, but bad because the formula undoubtedly loses some of its appeal third time around. Many of the same jokes appear, maybe with a new lick of paint, but essentially the same gag nonetheless. Still, even though it lacks the freshness of the first two, there is much to enjoy.
The winning triumvirate of Shrek (Mike Myers) and his sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) again provide the backbone of the humour, while the inept wizard Merlin, voiced with an exuberant daftness by Eric Idle, provides a welcome new addition to the cast of supporting characters. There also appears a whole host of famous fairy tale figures like Snow White (Amy Poehler), Captain Hook (Ian McShane), Cinderella (Amy Sedaris) and the narcoleptic Sleeping Beauty (Cheri Oteri), who amusingly doses off at inopportune moments. One Shrek staple is the medieval village and its assortment of punning shops, which this time around include Versarchery and Olde Knavery.
In this installment, Shrek's father in law King Harold (John Cleese) dies, though not before a hilarious and protracted death. His dying wish is that Shrek be the new king of Far Far Away and his daughter, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), be queen. This prospect doesn't appeal to Shrek, who'd rather just live a quiet life back at his swamp. There is one other rightful heir to the throne in the youthful and reluctant Arthur (Justin Timberlake) and one less deserved contender, the pompous and narcissistic Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). Shrek's mission is to try and install Arthur and fend off the challenge of the Prince.
There is also another issue that is of concern to Shrek: Fiona is pregnant. And as much as he doesn't want to become king, he wants to become a father even less. In one of the film's funniest scenes, Shrek has a nightmare during which he's trying (and failing) to cope with a home overrun with hundreds of baby ogres.
Filled with plenty of visual gags and throwaway lines, Shrek The Third maintains the balance of bawdy humour and sweet charm that has served it well. That there's plenty to enjoy for both kids and grown-ups lies at the heart of its phenomenal success, a success that Shrek The Third will undoubtedly perpetuate.
Kevin Murphy
The winning triumvirate of Shrek (Mike Myers) and his sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) again provide the backbone of the humour, while the inept wizard Merlin, voiced with an exuberant daftness by Eric Idle, provides a welcome new addition to the cast of supporting characters. There also appears a whole host of famous fairy tale figures like Snow White (Amy Poehler), Captain Hook (Ian McShane), Cinderella (Amy Sedaris) and the narcoleptic Sleeping Beauty (Cheri Oteri), who amusingly doses off at inopportune moments. One Shrek staple is the medieval village and its assortment of punning shops, which this time around include Versarchery and Olde Knavery.
In this installment, Shrek's father in law King Harold (John Cleese) dies, though not before a hilarious and protracted death. His dying wish is that Shrek be the new king of Far Far Away and his daughter, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), be queen. This prospect doesn't appeal to Shrek, who'd rather just live a quiet life back at his swamp. There is one other rightful heir to the throne in the youthful and reluctant Arthur (Justin Timberlake) and one less deserved contender, the pompous and narcissistic Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). Shrek's mission is to try and install Arthur and fend off the challenge of the Prince.
There is also another issue that is of concern to Shrek: Fiona is pregnant. And as much as he doesn't want to become king, he wants to become a father even less. In one of the film's funniest scenes, Shrek has a nightmare during which he's trying (and failing) to cope with a home overrun with hundreds of baby ogres.
Filled with plenty of visual gags and throwaway lines, Shrek The Third maintains the balance of bawdy humour and sweet charm that has served it well. That there's plenty to enjoy for both kids and grown-ups lies at the heart of its phenomenal success, a success that Shrek The Third will undoubtedly perpetuate.
Kevin Murphy
