McMurphy
Apostate Against the Eloi
Viewers of Shrek and the Realm of Far, Far Away left the title character and crew enjoying the fruits of their conquests. With Shrek living happily ever after with his wife Princess Fiona and his comical sidekicks Donkey and Puss In Boots, one would expect that little material is left for Dreamworks to attempt to beat or match the record success of Shrek 2 (biggest North American premiere weekend for a 3D animated film to date), and such a worrier's habit is not unfounded with Shrek the Third.
The plot to the bookend of the Shrek trilogy opens with a bitter Prince Charming vowing to leave his peasant lifestyle of starring in tavern dinner plays that he has been forced into and gain seat room upon the thorn that, to him, is obviously his to take. While Shrek voyages with Donkey and Puss in Boots to find Artie, an alternative heir to the kingdom, after the croaking King Harold is on the verge of (cough) croaking, which would force Shrek into a very uncharacteristic role of Head of the Castle, a pregnant Princess Fiona defends Far, Far Away from the ambitions of Prince Charmless.
The plot may not sound all so hallow from the above description, but, due to the lack of new interesting characters and reoccurring jokes stale from the previous films, Shrek the Third delivers few honest chuckles and feels slow moving for a picture only an hour and a half long. That is not to say that the film doesn't have its inspired moments. For example, the Snow White parody-turn-homage to Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" is more than clever and unexpected. What doesn't work as well is the pop cultural references and the pace of action. Shrek 2 hit the audience so quickly with references in hopes to keep the parent portion of the crowd entertained that people actually complained that they often missed some of the jokes because they were still laughing at the previous pun. The cultural references, which will be ungrounded a few years from now, are there, but they aren't as inspired or delivered in an one-two punch combination style.
In the end, Shrek the Third serves up a portion of what everyone loved (and some hated) from the previous two films, but the audience is only getting a slice this time around. Children will still beg to have the tickets purchased, but parents may have a little harder time at being equally entertained.
The plot to the bookend of the Shrek trilogy opens with a bitter Prince Charming vowing to leave his peasant lifestyle of starring in tavern dinner plays that he has been forced into and gain seat room upon the thorn that, to him, is obviously his to take. While Shrek voyages with Donkey and Puss in Boots to find Artie, an alternative heir to the kingdom, after the croaking King Harold is on the verge of (cough) croaking, which would force Shrek into a very uncharacteristic role of Head of the Castle, a pregnant Princess Fiona defends Far, Far Away from the ambitions of Prince Charmless.
The plot may not sound all so hallow from the above description, but, due to the lack of new interesting characters and reoccurring jokes stale from the previous films, Shrek the Third delivers few honest chuckles and feels slow moving for a picture only an hour and a half long. That is not to say that the film doesn't have its inspired moments. For example, the Snow White parody-turn-homage to Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" is more than clever and unexpected. What doesn't work as well is the pop cultural references and the pace of action. Shrek 2 hit the audience so quickly with references in hopes to keep the parent portion of the crowd entertained that people actually complained that they often missed some of the jokes because they were still laughing at the previous pun. The cultural references, which will be ungrounded a few years from now, are there, but they aren't as inspired or delivered in an one-two punch combination style.
In the end, Shrek the Third serves up a portion of what everyone loved (and some hated) from the previous two films, but the audience is only getting a slice this time around. Children will still beg to have the tickets purchased, but parents may have a little harder time at being equally entertained.
I was hoping for more of the same. 
