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Shrek the Third 6 out of 10
Running time: 1:33 MPAA rating: PG (Some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action.) Peruvian rating: Apta para Todos
Cast: (voices)
Mike
Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Evert,
Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Eric Idle. |
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Looks like the Shrek movies are getting worse with each entry. With “worse” I don’t mean they’re actually getting bad, but Shrek’s adventures are not as enjoyable in Shrek the Third as in the original movie or even the first sequel. The film’s structure and content is more or less the same, but it worked better in the first two outings. Shrek was original; Shrek 2 wasn’t as fresh, but it was pretty appealing and effective; Shrek the Third is a little tiresome. There are some inspired moments, a couple of chuckles to be had, but the movie as a whole is insipid. It exists only because the previous movies made money and, because of this, all the creativity and enthusiasm present in the other two installments is missing.
King Harold (John Cleese), the King of Far Far Away is dead, but named Shrek (Mike Myers) his official heir in his final moments. He doesn’t want to be King, so he goes looking for the only remaining “prince” to replace him: a guy named Arthur (Justin Timberlake.) Shrek and his friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss N’ Boots (Antonio Banderas) go looking for him and end up in a high school, where they discover the kid isn’t what everyone was expecting. In the meantime, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) has taken control of Far Far Away, imprisoning Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), her mother the Queen (Julie Andrews) and other princesses. Of course, our ogre and his friends now have to save the day.
One immediate difference in the third installment is a small change in the crew. Instead of having Andrew Adamson (who decided to get busy with his Narnia movies) we have Chris Miller and Raman Hui directing Shrek the Third. Adamson’s presence is missed. The film is visually impressive, for sure – there’s lots of attention to detail, the backgrounds are arresting, and every image is breathtaking and sometimes realistic-looking – but their directing is not as creative or inventive. It seems as if there’s something missing; Miller and Hui’s style is different from Adamson’s, and I prefer the latter’s approach.
Additionally, the screenplay is lackluster when compared with the previous outings. The plot is by no means original; it lacks energy, and considering that the previous film’s ending was pretty open, I bet they could have chosen other directions to go with the plot. In terms of comedy, the movie is also not as funny or inventive as the previous installments, but isn’t a complete failure. There are some “inspired” moments (the fighting princesses, or Shrek’s failures at trying to be King), and some pop references are still somehow amusing, but the movie as a whole is amazingly unfunny when compared to the previous installments. I think I laughed out-loud a total of three times, and only chuckled a couple of times.
In terms of voice acting, we have the same actors and actresses as in the previous films, with a couple of new additions. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy are still effective and occasionally amusing, but the latter has lost some of his energy. John Cleese and Eric Idle (the two Monty Python members) are welcome presences, although Idle’s talent is somehow underused. Justin Timberlake as “Artie” is dull and boring.
Shrek the Third is not a bad movie, but is disappointing when compared to the first two outings. The pop references and cute jokes are still present, but don’t feel as fresh or as original as in the other movies, and aren’t as effective as one would want. There are some inspired moments, but the movie as a whole is not too funny. Yeah, the kids are still going to enjoy it, but unlike the other two films, this one isn’t as enjoyable to adults. Reportedly, a Shrek 4 is already in the making; if it follows the same trend as the first three films, I guess 2010 (or whatever the release date is) is gonna be a bad year for Shrek. Really, three films are enough, especially considering the filmmakers’ ideas are running out. It’s sad, then, that as long as these films make money, we’re gonna have lots of Shreks.
©2007 Sebastián Zavala - Star Wars Epica