The dreams, destiny and quest of Shrek the Third.
Written: Jul 30 '07
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Bang For The Buck |
 |
|
|
Pros: Excellent kid and family flick.
Cons: Some themes might be a bit heavy for the little ones.
The Bottom Line: As a family we all had a wonderful time, things didn't get to whacky and the jokes didn't get to tacky.
|
|
|
| cntaur5's Full Review: Shrek the Third |
Shrek the Third (2007) is yet another animated installment based upon William Steig's 1990 fairy tale. Much like the previous sequels a lot has remained the same except this time directors Chris Miller and Raman Hui (co-director) take the helm leaving its first director Andrew Adamson in the writer's corner. Seeing that Shrek (2001) won an Academy Award, my expectations were high going into the theater. Fortunately all of the favorites have been tossed into this sequel including the large, green grumpy ogre Shrek (Mike Myers), his practical and loving wife Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and his talkative sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).
The movie opens with a dismal theatrical performance from the debunked Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). Who retreats to his back alley dressing room how life is unfair. Meanwhile Fiona and Shrek are sleeping in their royal bed in the Kingdom of Far Far Away. Puss in Boots and Donkey burst into their room and awaken them reminding them that they need to complete their royal duties as king and queen. Before attending to their duties they must be dressed in proper attire. This makes for a real awkward and yet entertaining moment since the clothing is extremely tight.
In the intervening time, King Harold (John Cleese) has fallen ill and now it is up to his son-in-law Shrek to run the kingdom. The only other air to the thrown is the King’s high school nephew, Arthur Pendragon (Justin Timberlake). Shrek does not feel he can handle the responsibility of being King and would rather spend days alone with Fiona in their swamp home. The adventure begins when Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots search for Arthur, in addition, to Shrek accepting the idea he is going to be a parent.
For me there is a lot going on in this film with a few subplots that clearly target an older audience which makes its MPAA rating of PG appropriate. Some of the jokes are stiff but nothing too bad. The themes of life and death are present and could present a challenge for younger viewers, fortunately everything is done in good taste. Despite its depth the animated characters continue to capture the human spirit and entertain the audience. The most memorable scene for me is when the frogs were all singing in harmony, "Live and Let Die". Our 11 year old daughter’s favorite part is when Puss and Donkey switch bodies after Merlin's spell and when Queen Lillian smashes through stone walls to break out of jail. Although a few critics did not like the character voice overs, I think feel Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas did well in brining their fictional character to life.
While Shrek the Third was an entertaining movie I would caution potential viewers in over analyzing its plot. Young fan’s of Shrek won't be disappointed since this movie picks up were the last one left off. The fusion mix of pop culture and enduring childhood fairy-tales is nice since everyone from the Ginger Bread Man, to Rapunzel appears in the film. Things don't get to whacky and the jokes don't get to tacky. The filmmakers should be applauded for their efforts in entertaining the entire family making this an animated venture worth yet another watch. Although this sequel follows the beaten path, its accurate special effects, and spirited characters are a real treat for families looking for a matinee group activity.
Release Date: May 18, 2007 (USA)
Genre: Animation/Adventure
Run Time: 1 hr. 33 min.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Family Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.