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Movie Forums :: Reviews :: Shrek the Third |
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Posted on 5/22/07
Shrek the Third
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It's pretty odd for a trilogy to become less epic with each successive film, but that's certainly the case with the Shrek trilogy. While the first Shrek featured a magnificent rescue from a fearsome dragon, Shrek 2 was more concerned with monarchial politics. Shrek the Third lowers the stakes even further, to the point where the film's central conflict is the titular character's pyschological struggles with parenthood and responsibility.
These are still compelling issues, to be sure, but the large green ogre rose to fame on the strength of his social ineptitude and prickly disposition, and its contrast with those around him. There are still plenty of examples of these attributes, but Shrek the Third furthers his domestication.
The story is not worth much description: Princess Fiona's father has died, and Shrek is next in line for the throne. He doesn't care for the pomp and circumstance of ruling a kingdom, and sets off to find the next next-in-line: Arthur, voiced adequately by Justin Timberlake. Before his journey he learns that Fiona is pregnant. Naturally, Shrek is ambivalent about his parenting abilities, something which isn't helped much by his initial inabilities to relate to the young Arthur.
Characters like the Gingerbread Man, the Three Blind Mice, and the Three Little Pigs (lots of threes in this third film, no?) put in their mandatory appearances, although only the Gingerbread Man has anything interesting or amusing to say, and they largely serve only to clutter the cast. This is probably because, in addition to Arthur, Shrek the Third adds Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Merlin to an already large ensemble. All of these characters are plenty amusing, but the various set pieces could use a bit more margin, which would have been easily provided by dispensing with the obligatory roll call.
Still, all of these complaints stem from the incredibly high quality of the first two films. Shrek the Third still has plenty of great gags and crisp visuals. Eric Idle's flower-child take on Merlin is thoroughly amusing, and Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots (a stroke-of-genius addition to Shrek 2) is as hysterical as he is underused.
The core strengths of the series -- incredible technology, fairy tale satire, and an all-ages array of gags -- remain, making Shrek the Third better than the vast majority of films vying for your attention this summer. Anyone who enjoyed the first two films will surely enjoy this for what it is: a passable, pleasant installment of a fantastic franchise.
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