Here it is. The second of the most anticipated movies of the summer is here. No, I'm not talking about Gracie. I'm talking about Shrek the Third. If the title didn't give it away, it's the third installment of the animated juggernaught — the first being aptly titled Shrek and the second even more aptly titled Shrek 2.
Can number three keep pace with its predecessors? Well, they say the third time around is a charm, right? Right?
Well, not always. This time around our lovable ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) sets course with his trusty sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) to find the heir to the throne of Far Far Away, Arthur (Justin Timberlake). Along the way, they find themselves in a host of situations, some funny, some not so. However, while they're out, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), who's still simmering over his losses in the previous movies, devises an ingenious plan to take over the castle and set himself as king. It's up to Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and her girlfriends to save the kingdom while her husband is away.
As expected, visually Shrek the Third delivers fantastic CGI (computer generated imagery). Stunning landscapes, fluid motions, and a keen attention to detail are all accounted for. Yet, I couldn't help but want more. The graphics, while extremely well done, are basically the same as the previous movies. I'm from the school of going above and beyond and I felt the animators should have added a new 'WOW' factor. You can't sit on your past triumphs in this town if you want to stay ahead of the game.
Also, as expected, we're given a very healthy dose of adult humor, wrapped around innuendos and read-between-the-lines dialogue (we've got to trick the children, of course). As with all movies, some jokes hit and some miss. Mostly, the antics in Shrek the Third are singles intermixed with a few doubles; the only home run I can think of was during the Pinnochio interrogation — even I was getting confused with all the double-speak. Yet as stated previously, while there are funny moments, I've basically seen the same material in the first two movies.
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