Movie Reviews

Review in a Hurry:  This latest installment in the ogre-hyped franchise (Shrek toothpaste, anyone?) makes for serviceable summer entertainment, even as it shows signs of sequel fatigue. Regardless, the big green swamp guy will surely swamp the studio with lots o’ green.

The Bigger Picture:  Once upon a time—before Shrek became a Broadway-bound musical (yep, it’s true!)—the tale of an ornery ogre delighted millions (and rang up even more) with its twisted take on traditional fairy tales. The next chapter, Shrek 2, was that rare sequel, proving superior to the original. But this third time is less of a charm, suffering from the inevitable comparisons—and an ogre-size case of been-there-seen-that.

When his father-in-law suddenly dies, Shrek is groomed to be the new king of Far Far Away. But he’d rather relinquish the throne and return to the swamp with wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz). So, he enlists Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to help him find the other possible heir, high school outcast Artie (Justin Timberlake, bringing geeky back).

Meanwhile, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) rallies Captain Hook and other villains to stage a kingdom coup and reclaim the palace. In the funniest sequence, Hook interrogates the Gingerbread Man, whose life flashes before his icing eyes, and Pinocchio, who attempts some Alberto Gonzalez-esque truth-dodging.

The pic’s pace stutters midway, as Shrek stresses about becoming a new father—Fiona has an ogre in the oven. And the climactic showdown again involves a big stage show and unfortunately tacks on a tired “just believe in yourself” moral. Bleah.  

Still, the visuals are superb, the voice cast is top-notch, and it’s fun to revisit old friends, even if their patter feels a little too familiar. 

Shrek may be far, far away from drek. But it’s also far, far away from fresh. 

The 180—a Second Opinion:  If Hoodwinked! and Happily N’Ever After have spoiled your appetite for fractured fairy tales, then you may wanna pass on this Third helping. Instead, you can build up your craving for that stage-musical version!