Lacking the heart of the first two films, Shrek the Third is funny but forgettable

Rating: 5/10 (20 May 2020)

As a threequel to a beloved franchise, Shrek the Third is a disappointment. It's not as bad as the other sequels (notably the 5th Ice Age movie) but it lacks the heart that made the first two Shrek films so memorable. Now, there are some things I liked about the film. Some of the comedy is funny even if some of it can be really crude, the animation is a neat upgrade from the previous two, the voice acting from everyone is still good and there's one moment in the film where Shrek has a sincere chat with Arthur (Artie) about accepting who he is as a person. That's all the good things about the film.
Everything else underwhelms. The story had an interesting idea about Shrek learning to take responsibilities as King of Far Far Away, but doesn't do anything with it. Instead it's narrative gets overstuffed with Shrek learning how to be a good father, Prince Charming teaming up with the other villains, and Shrek trying to get Arthur to be the next king. Not to mention it rehashes the same character arc for Shrek and gives the other characters absolutely nothing else to do. Even Prince Charming is underwhelming as a villain. The writing is not very good. It has some funny moments like I said, but the drama isn't as thought-provoking as the first two. Even the climax is lazy.
Overall, Shrek the Third isn't a bad movie, but as a sequel to the Shrek franchise, it's inferior to what made the last two so memorables. Kids might like this, but as for Shrek fans, I'd stick to Shrek 1 and 2.