Not in measure of the first two, but still fun...

Rating: 6/10 (2 June 2007)

Like millions of other viewers, I absolutely loved the first two Shrek films. With the magic that the first two films held, I dearly wanted to see the third one despite the negative reviews I have read about it. And after seeing it, I don't necessarily agree with the "bashing reviews", nor do I call this Shrek in measure of the first two films.
Story wise it doesn't too bad. It didn't have a strong storyline as did the first two, but it was no disappointment. In fact, I found it quite humorous like the previous films. It basically picks up from the second film, of where King Harold the Frog of Far Far Away dies, and Shrek is the next in line for being king. Once again, Shrek is in a situation he doesn't want to be part of, and the only alternative of him not being king is to find the other heir in line, Arthur or "Artie". As this happens, Prince Charming decides to make a "happily after" for himself and the other unhappily after characters by invading Far Far Away.
Yet again, the unforgettable characters such as: Donkey, Puss n Boots, Fiona, Shrek, and many other protagonist characters flourish on the big screen, which was very pleasing. There are also a couple of new faces, including Merlin and Arthur. The voice of Merlin by Eric Idle was simply comic genius, giving me memories of his Monty Python humor (which was quite a bit in the film). But the voice of Arthur or Artie by Justin Timberlake was feeble. I'm not a fan of his, and to be brutally honest, his voice is not meant to be in an animated film like Shrek. It just wasn't animated or humorous like the works of the other cast, including: Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, or even Antonio Banderas.
The other problem I had with this film was that it wasn't as comical as the first two. It didn't have the ridiculous sight gags or fantasy satire like the previous two. And even worse, there was some humor in it that I found very inappropriate for a PG film, including many sexual innuendos and other related things. When I was in the theater loaded with children, I didn't hear a lot of laughter from them.
Instead, they began talking through the film out of boredom. Bottom line, it was fun, but not in measure of the first two films. 7/10 Note to Parents: This may not be a movie for your kids if they are under the ages of eight. I suggest you see this movie ahead of time, and see if you think it is appropriate for them.