The Ogre Is Starting To Stink

Rating: 5/10 (14 December 2007)

Franchise films run the risk of overdoing it. This means becoming stale, predictable, or simply trying so hard to produce something off-kilter that it either alienates itself from its predecessors or, if not, becomes a cliché of sorts.
The first SHREK was original, hysterically funny, and witty. Michael Myers' portrayal of a grumpy yet lovable ogre was spot-on. As was Eddie Murphy's (DREAMGIRLS) Donkey. SHREK 2 was helped tremendously by the incorporation of Puss-N-Boots played by Anthony Banderas' (THE 13th WARRIOR) over-the-top voice.
All of the above are still in SHREK THE THIRD, and added to the cast are Justin Timberlake as Artie, the lost heir to the thrown of Far Far Away. Also coming in is Eric Idle as Merlin, a washed up magician living away from the shame of his past.
What made the previous two Shrek films funny makes this one overly predictable and simply not laughable. It does have its moments, but they aren't thanks to Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, or Puss-N-Boots. Little things like Queen Lillian's (Julie Andrews) head ramming and singing are what sprinkle the film with a few light laughs. There are no belly-jiggling funnies to be found.
The forced entry of the story of King Arthur (i.e., Artie) stilts the story terribly with the exception of Eric Idle's Merlin who does a few comical incantations that don't quite work out the way they're supposed to. Whereas the previous two films used other fairy tales to great advantage (the first one incorporated so much you'd be hard-pressed to include them all in one review, and the second one, too, had a few jabs at Disney itself), this one tries to beat the viewer over the head with the magic and it doesn't translate to much of anything .
Even so, this is a modestly entertaining Shrekfest. All of the familiar characters are there and most movie watchers will feel right at home. But don't expect much from them.