"Third" is first in line this summer

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2007)

When I walked into my local movie theater to see 'Shrek the Third', I was in a state of depression about the summer movie season. That meandering mess called 'Spider-Man 3' instilled within me the belief that this would be a summer of prequels with disappointing content and big box office numbers. So needless to say, I was prepared for another letdown in a summer that seemed as if it would be full of 'em. Guess not. From the second the film's opening title rolled, 'Shrek The Third' broke my state of pessimism about the summer movie season and reminded me what a great popcorn film should be...side-splitting comedy, high drama, larger-than-life action, and a little romance thrown in for good measure. Mike Myers is back as Shrek, who, due to a tragic turn of events, is slated to become king of Far Far Away. Desperate to stick the crown on someone else's head, Shrek embarks on a journey to find Arthur Pendragon (Justin Timberlake, who, no, is not really that bad of an actor), the only other heir to the throne. Joining Shrek, of course, are Donkey (Eddie Murphy, hilarious as usual) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas, having the time of his life), although he does leave Fiona (Cameron Diaz, also enjoying herself) behind. Like 'Shrek 2', this film is a mishmash of little-kid humor (haha, he farted!) and pop-culture nonsequiturs (a "Just Say Nay" program, a chorus of frogs singing "Live and Let Die"). And, like 'Shrek 2', the folks at Dreamworks Animation have created a marvel that is a refreshing antidote to the typical Hollywood film. 'Shrek the Third' brings back lovable characters (Julie Andrews as the Queen of Far Far Away, Rupert Everett as the evil Prince Charming) and introduces great new ones (Eric Idle as a nutty Merlin, Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty). It manages to hew to the formula that has made the other films so popular while still seeming fresh, relevant, and witty. Not the best of the three, but it certain holds it's own among parts 1 and 2. If this is an indication of the rest of the summer, maybe it ain't so bad after all.