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The Shrek film franchise is like a dog. The first movie’s
a puppy: cute, cuddly, fresh. The second is a bit clumsy and awkward, and
the novelty is wearing off. The third entry? You guessed it:
There’s no teaching this green ogre any new tricks. It isn’t so much that Shrek the Third is a bad movie;
it’s just that Shrek isn’t anything special anymore. Without question the
screenplay, which lists seven different contributors, moves the story of
the put-upon ogre and his princess bride along at a breakneck pace.
However, much of the territory the film covers is hardly new, and the
banter between the film’s three principals shows signs of
becoming labored. As the tale begins, King Harold (voiced by John
Cleese) declares on his deathbed that he wants Shrek (Mike Myers) to take
over for him. The ogre pleads to be let out of this obligation and is told
that his wife, Fiona (Cameron Diaz), has a distant relative, Artie (Justin
Timberlake), who can take the reins. Trouble is, Artie’s off at a
private school, so Shrek and his crew, including Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and
Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) set out to find him and bring him back.
Meanwhile, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) hears of Shrek’s absence
and plans a coup with fellow fairytale losers. It’s a good thing
Fiona and her Princess Posse are on hand to watch over things. There’s a sense that director Chris Miller
knows that Shrek and his cohorts are beginning to overstay their welcome. Shrek the Third stumbles
towards a climax that’s anything but special. In the end, I
couldn’t help but think that that was just what was intended.
Shrek’s journey in this third chapter is far longer than it should
be. Let’s hope that it’s his last.
This article appears in May 10-16, 2007.
