Shrek the Third
Mark Kermode
Sunday July 1, 2007
The Observer
Thrice is not nice... Shrek the Third.
The best thing that can be said about Shrek the Third is that, unlike this summer's other dreary 'three-quels' (Spiderman, Pirates), it isn't a three-hour bum-numbing boreathon. At a brisk 93 minutes, this merely reheats the franchise's old familiar elements (plenty of poo and bum jokes for the kids and cine-literate nods for the adults, including The Exorcist via Rosemary's Baby and The Brood) to give us more - or, rather, less - of the same. The USP this time is parenthood, with Donkey having to teach Shrek to embrace the joys of being a father, a role presumably voiced before Eddie Murphy disgracefully disowned Spice Girl Mel B's baby, and Justin Timberlake lending misfit teen appeal as heir-to-the-throne Artie.
There are a couple of nice comic interludes, most notably John Cleese's dying Frog King routine, and the kids will be duly diverted, but it all smacks of a general downward spiral; there are no music choices as bold as the original's iconic 'Hallelujah', and no puns as audacious as calling the villain 'F**kwad' (OK, technically 'Farquaad') and still getting a family-friendly rating. On this evidence, thrice is definitely enough. Sadly, Shrek 4 is due in 2010. Hey ho.
The best thing that can be said about Shrek the Third is that, unlike this summer's other dreary 'three-quels' (Spiderman, Pirates), it isn't a three-hour bum-numbing boreathon. At a brisk 93 minutes, this merely reheats the franchise's old familiar elements (plenty of poo and bum jokes for the kids and cine-literate nods for the adults, including The Exorcist via Rosemary's Baby and The Brood) to give us more - or, rather, less - of the same. The USP this time is parenthood, with Donkey having to teach Shrek to embrace the joys of being a father, a role presumably voiced before Eddie Murphy disgracefully disowned Spice Girl Mel B's baby, and Justin Timberlake lending misfit teen appeal as heir-to-the-throne Artie.
There are a couple of nice comic interludes, most notably John Cleese's dying Frog King routine, and the kids will be duly diverted, but it all smacks of a general downward spiral; there are no music choices as bold as the original's iconic 'Hallelujah', and no puns as audacious as calling the villain 'F**kwad' (OK, technically 'Farquaad') and still getting a family-friendly rating. On this evidence, thrice is definitely enough. Sadly, Shrek 4 is due in 2010. Hey ho.
My Response:
My view is that the review is fair in that it makes a valid point about how 'thrice [three] is definetely enough'. Shrek the Third has not changed much from the previous two and by having poor reviews compared to the first two it illustrates that the Shrek brand is dying and that Shrek the Third is the final straw. Also having watch the film myself, I agree as the ending shows Shrek and Fiona finally living in the swamp with a family at last. This truely was 'a happily ever after' and i believe it was a fitting way to end the Shrek triology.
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