Shrek the Third

Title: Shrek the Third (2007)
Dir: Chris Miller, Raman Hui
Rating: **1/2 out of 5 stars



Yet another big disappointment this year. I loved Shrek and Shrek 2, and this time around some of my favorite people joined the voice cast - Amy Sedaris, John Krasinski, Eric Idle, Cheri O'Teri, Seth Rogen, and Amy Poehler. And yet it sucked! I feared the worst when the original director left to make the Narnia films. Unfortunately, my fears were justified.

In this installment, Fiona's father falls ill, making Shrek his successor for Far Far Away's throne. Not eager to take on this role, Shrek sets out to find a proper heir - namely, a kid named Arthur (voice of Justin Timerlake). But the kid is reluctant to take on the royal responsibility, so Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots must persuade him. Meanwhile, the jilted Prince Charming (from the second film) employs the help of other disgruntled fairytale characters in a devious plot to steal the throne and kill the would-be heirs.

Shrek the Third lacks the charm and originality of its predecessors. It simply rehashes many of the old gags or resorts to juvenile fart jokes. Where are the subtle pop culture references? Where are the "did he just say that?"innuendos that only we adults pick up on? The movie is watchable, and occasionally funny, but on the whole it felt...recycled. So disappointing.