Shrek the King

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2007)

Some of the critics were less appreciative of 'Shrek the Third' than it's two predecessors, but there's still plenty to enjoy, notably the rich sequence of jokes bound together by a reasonably coherent plot (based, as before, on the world of fairy-tales). And while the Shrek movies are not the most mordant of modern animated cartoons, the film explores, albeit in comic vein, the question of what makes us act the way we do and does not divide its characters into absolute categories of black-and-white (with the exception of the only true villain, who, entertainingly, is Prince Charming!). It should also be noted quite how high the standard of computer animation is, which allows mood and humour to be conveyed through the use of relatively subtle body language; most remarkable is the character of Puss-in-Boots, whose moves are a perfect combination of feline and human. It's not (for an adult, at least), a life-changing movie; but it is great fun.