Hey Shrek, how about more of Puss N' Boots?Shrek 3
Monkey Score: 2 Opposable Thumbs Up (out of 5)
The first two installments of the Shrek series were quite good films. The original, Shrek, introduced us to the cranky ogre with a good heart and his obnoxious, loveable sidekick, Donkey, in a classic fairy tale. The second, Shrek 2, improved upon the first, with even more of the smart pop culture references and sharp writing we saw in the first movie. Whether you liked the first or second film better, however, the two movies unquestionably wove in adult references into a kid package (the animation). That was the appeal.
This is where Shrek 3 falls short. Like George Lucas sold out with the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, Shrek 3 seems a cheap attempt at a clearance sale of Shrek action figures. All that was missing was a McDonald’s cash register at the theater door.
In the latest installment, the big green dude is unwittingly thrust into the role of King of Far, Far Away because his father-in-law is gravely ill. Sure enough, the old man croaks (no pun intended), and Shrek is next in line to rule the kingdom. There’s only one problem: Shrek doesn’t want to be king. There is, however, another possible heir: Arthur. Shrek and his gang go off in search of Arthur, in a desperate attempt to avoid the throne. Complicating the journey is the fact that Fiona has become pregnant, causing Shrek to worry about the prospect of fatherhood.
What follows is an only occasionally funny romp, what seems more like a formulaic musical than the sharp satire we’ve come to expect from Mike Meyers and Co. In a telling sign, there were more kids than adults laughing in the theater.
Another disappointment is the reduced role of Puss N’ Boots, the cheesy, suave feline who stole the show in Shrek 2. We don’t get many good one liners from the tabby this time around. Donkey is, well, Donkey. He does a good job, but also seems like more of a background player this time. One funny twist: an old magician casts a spell with a “side effect” of switching Donkey and Puss N’ Boots. It’s one of the film’s comic successes.
Attention span disclaimer: I do need to be fair here. I saw this movie with a really hot chick. Though I felt like I had my wits about me, it’s somewhat possible that I was distracted by thinking about the moves I was going to put on her. Don’t hold it against me: you would have done the same thing. What was I going to say? “Get your hand out of my lap, I need to write a review.”
Bottom line: unless you have kids, or Happy Meals are a staple of your diet, I’d skip Shrek 3.
2 comments:
puss n boots is the best thing about that franchise. how could they reduce his role? ridiculous.
I hate to say this, but after seeing this film I kind of wish I'd saved my money and waited until it came out on dvd. It feels like it was made in a by-the-numbers routine to carry on the franchise. Apparently there are going to be 6 Shrek films in total, I read about a year ago. God help us if the next film has more poopy jokes and baby vomiting sequences. Still, it's better than Pirates 3 and half the other sequels of sequels that the studios pump out these days.
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