More clever than funny, this movie is almost devoid of laughs despite some game tries by the cast

Rating: 4/10 (27 May 2007)

Shrek's father in-law dies and Shrek and Fiona are next in line.. Shrek, having been standing in for the king knows this is not the life for him so he goes off to find Artie, a kid also in line for the throne.
If you've seen anything on this you've probably seen most of what passes for the jokes. This is not a funny movie, It is well plotted, but seemingly devoid of any laugh out loud humor. I sat there for the entire running time straight faced. I can admire the animation, I can admire the cleverness of "the jokes" and I can admire the too many "in" references, but I can't find it funny. (well thats not true, the Shrek baby stuff at the end is funny) If you want what I think is the perfect example of whats wrong with the film take the funeral for the king. The king has died and we hear Paul McCartney's live and Let Die (you know the James Bond theme song). Why? I have no clue...actually after what seems like an eternity fumbling around for a punch line we see a choir of frogs singing the song, Two minutes of screen time for a throw away joke about a short film that Paul McCartney produced that almost no one has seen in the US-Rupert and the Frog Song.The film is full of set ups to jokes that are so obscure that not even Jude would get them.(see what I'm getting at Thomas?) The humor is either obvious slapstick or these obscure duds. Clearly this what happens when you get too many animators and lock them in a room with a predetermined release date.
Whats worse this seems like a (better) version of the dreadful Happily N'ever After so that those of us who suffered through that piece of horse hockey, get to watch a chunk of the plot reused (to better effect) here. Shrek three can't win for losing.
Wait for Cable