just got in from pre-viewing the third shrek film, which is opening tomorrow night. it was everything that the first two installments were…stunning cgi graphics, laugh-out-loud innuendo, subtle pop culture references, and a toe-tapping soundtrack that ranged from “live and let die” (which is funny, albeit a little morbid, in its usage) to “cat’s in the cradle.”
the most notable addition to this ‘threequel’ is the monster supporting cast…all of the fairytale princesses (snow white, sleeping beauty, cinderella, and rapunzel) make significant appearances and are played perfectly by a slew of actresses who are no strangers to offbeat comedy — cheri oteri, maya rudolph, and the amys (sedaris and poehler) –with each wonderfully emphasizing her character’s own quirks. the omnipresent justin timberlake (i mean, honestly, is there anything this guy is NOT involved 
with??) appears as artie (a.k.a. arthur) and is equally entertaining in digital form (if you haven’t seen alpha dog, you should, by the way). also, for fans of nbc’s the office, scranton’s own jim halpert (john krasinski) even makes a small cameo as lancelot…definite bonus points for that addition.
you can’t go wrong with john cleese and julie andrews (fiona’s parents), and diaz and myers are entertaining in spurts, despite being tied down as the driving force behind the sappy plot.
of course, the pigs, gingerbread man, and pinocchio all return, along with what has become the franchise’s staple — the rapid-fire dialogue of donkey and puss — which makes up approximately 75% of the movie’s humor (puss’ “royally…” comment might be the funniest part of the entire film).
plot-wise, it’s nothing spectacular…but let’s be honest, you didn’t watch the first two for their storylines.
it’s fun.
it’s funny.
it’s clean (which is rather refreshing, i might add).
on top of all that, as “thirds” go…well quite honestly, they normally are quite the let-down. for every lotr: return of the king, there’s a dozen TERRIBLE threequels (the matrix revolutions, anyone?), but shrek the third manages what most thirds don’t: it stands alone. while it is actually just a re-application of the same formula that worked in the first two installments, it is witty, clever, and fresh. the studio ups the ante with the supporting cast, and gives us something that manages to be entertaining in the same fashion as shrek and shrek 2 WITHOUT becoming a parody of the franchise itself.
grade-wise, i’d give it a B+ because it lacks a little bit of the comedic consistency of the first two…it drags in a few parts, and a few of the more annoying characters get a bit too much screen time, while others are scarcely seen. nevertheless, it is a fun film and, like the first and second, shrek the third will entertain parents just as much as children (and it even includes an encouraging [albeit trite and overused] ”just be you” message that parents will like).
bottom line: it’s worth the hype (moreso than spiderman 3). take a date or the family if you’d like. just go see it.
