At least as good as Shrek 2

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2007)

As is often the case, I'm out of sync with most of the critics and movie-going public. C'est la vie...
I loved the first Shrek and gave it a 10 vote. Shrek 2 was a bit of a disappointment and I only gave it an 8, although many critics and other folks seemed to like it better than the original. It was edgier, I suppose, but that's not what floats my boat.
As with number 2, this wasn't up to the level of the original, but I gave another 8 as equally worthy to carry the franchise banner as #2. Like #2, it had a few spots that fell a little flat, but overall I liked it a bit more than #2.
As with all Shrek movies, the devil is in the details and this was rich with goodies, some of which will only become obvious on the 2nd or 3rd viewing. If I had to score #2 and #3 side by side, I guess that, individually, #2 did have a bit more going for it. However, #3 did turn away from edginess to the sort of innocence that made the original so charming, so it simply felt better to me.
[..minor spoiler alert..]
One big disappointment was the lack of a closing musical number as in the first 2 movies. Donkey & Puss did have some over the credits business, but it was a letdown from the previous Shrek films.