shrek the third movie review

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"Shrek the Third" is a damped-down return to the Kingdom of Far Far Away, lacking the comic energy of the first brilliant film and not measuring up to the second. From the thrills of dragon-slaying and damsel-rescuing, Shrek's challenges have been reduced to a career decision: Should he become the king?

The movie is as visually enchanting as the first two in the series, and the big green ogre (voice of Mike Myers ) is as gentle and lovable, but the movie settles for action that it trusts is funny, instead of aiming for comedy itself. Another peculiarity is that the plot will probably not be engaging for younger audience members, who understand dragons but don't care that uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Shrek spends too much time in lachrymose conversation with his bride Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz ) and pondering the challenge of fatherhood, and not enough time being an ogre.

Indeed, Shrek is the only character in the movie who makes a big deal about his ogrehood. The king and queen (voices of John Cleese and Julie Andrews ) have long since embraced their son-in-law, and on his deathbed, the frog king reveals that Shrek is an heir to the throne — one of two, including the feckless Artie (voice of pop star Justin Timberlake ). Shrek demurs, preferring life back in the swamp in what Fiona describes as his "vermin-filled shack."

Why would Fiona, raised as a princess, accept life in such a dreary mire of despond? Recall from " Shrek " (2001) that she was a conventional princess only by day, and became an ogre after nightfall. When she was rescued from marriage to Lord Farquaad with Shrek's kiss, she became an ogre full-time. Before that she was a human, I guess, although her father was a frog. Inter-species reproduction is so common in Far Far Away that it makes irrelevant such questions as whether Kermit and Miss Piggy ever had sex. Remember that the dragon and Donkey fell in love in the first film. For someone like me who has never understood how birds and snakes do it, thoughts of their marital adventures boggles the mind.

Back again this time are the two supporting stars from the earlier films, Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy ) and Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas ). But they're reduced to being friends and traveling partners and are never really foregrounded. At one point, magically, they switch bodies and talk in each other's voices, but that's what it amounts to: They talk in each other's voices. Such a thing is not intrinsically funny, unless it is plot or character-driven. Little really depends on it or comes from it, except for a weak little sight gag at the end. Since Murphy's vocal riffs and improvisations have been so inspired earlier in the series, we want more of him this time, not less.

Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss have to sail to the land of Worcestershire to find Artie, and also encounter Prince Charming (voice of Rupert Everett ), who is reduced from princehood to (in an opening scene) performing in dinner theater. Fairly arbitrary developments produce a team of heroines (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty) who are sort of Charlie's Angels, I guess, although they provide the movie with too many characters and not enough for them to do. In the first film, they were a sly Dreamworks dig at Disney and were dumped, as obsolete, in Shrek's private swamp.

Indeed, the movie practices such economy of characters that the Gingerbread Man and the Three Blind Mice turn up again — unwanted, if you ask me. What's the use of Three Blind Mice if you can't see them run? And although I have been trained to accept talking animals, living pastries fail to engage me.

I learn from Variety that there will be a fourth "Shrek" and a Broadway musical, and I hope both return for their inspiration to the original "Shrek." That film did so much with the outsider status of an ogre, and Shrek's painful uncertainties about his role in non-ogre society. It involved intolerance and prejudice and courage, and had real stakes. And it was funny. And had great action scenes, like Shrek's rescue of Fiona. Now everybody in the Land of Far Far Away acts as if we (and they) have seen the first two films.

The movie's always a pleasure to watch for its skilled animation. But it lacks truly interesting challenges. It makes the mistake of thinking slapstick action is funny for its own sake, a mistake made by a lot of Saturday-morning TV cartoons. True, characters zooming and bouncing around are easy to write because no creative invention is required to set them in motion. But so what?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Shrek the Third (2007)

Mike Myers as Shrek

Eddie Murphy as Donkey

Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona

Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots

Justin Timberlake as Artie

John Cleese as The King

Julie Andrews as The Queen

Rupert Everett as Prince Charming

Peter S. Seaman
Jeffrey Price

Directed by

Chris Miller

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Movie Review | 'Shrek the Third'

A Grumpy Green Giant Who Would Not Be King

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By A.O. Scott

May 18, 2007

For all I know, there may be an endless supply of “Shrek” sequels in the pipeline. That DreamWorks ogre’s skin is the color of money after all. But there is nonetheless a feeling of finality about “Shrek the Third,” a sense that the tale has at last reached a state of completion. In the first movie Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) met and wooed his lady love, Fiona (Cameron Diaz); in the second he got to know the in-laws. The current installment finds him faced with impending fatherhood and something of a career crisis. Will he take over his father-in-law’s business or remain true to his vocation of bellowing and smashing things?

Unless the Shrek team wants to follow its hero into the dangerous swamps of mid-life, thus shifting his literary pedigree away from William Steig and in the direction of John Updike or Philip Roth, it may want to leave him in a condition of more-or-less happily ever after. Which is only to say that “Shrek the Third,” directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui from a script with a half-dozen credited begetters, already feels less like a children’s movie than either of its predecessors. (This may be why I liked it better than the others. But then again, so did my kids.)

It isn’t that there’s anything inappropriate — no smoking or swearing and only the sex implied by Fiona’s pregnancy and the brood of Donkey-Dragon offspring — but rather that the movie’s liveliest humor and sharpest drama take root in decidedly grown-up situations. Shrek’s anxious, less-than-overjoyed reaction to the prospect of becoming a parent is not something most youngsters will relate to. (In one brilliantly executed sequence he has a nightmare of being besieged by hundreds of gurgling, saucer-eyed ogre babies.) And the depiction of Cinderella (Amy Sedaris), Rapunzel (Maya Rudolph) and Snow White (Amy Poehler) as bored, catty moms is likely to tickle fans of “Little Children,” a group that I hope doesn’t include any actual little children.

Whether these bits would seem as fresh or incisive if they were not embedded in a noisy cartoon remotely based on a beloved picture book is an open question. The strategy of the “Shrek” movies has always been to appeal to the easy, smirky cynicism of the parents while whetting their children’s appetite for crude humor and plush merchandise. “Shrek 2” pulled off the trick in a way that struck me as coarse and overdone, turning travestied fairy tales into the stuff of hackneyed Hollywood satire. But “Shrek the Third” seems at once more energetic and more relaxed, less desperate to prove its cleverness and therefore to some extent smarter.

It helps that the animation looks better than ever. Practice, along with advances in technology, has made the faces of the characters more expressive and their movements more graceful. The drawn-out death of Fiona’s father, a royal frog voiced by John Cleese, is a minor tour de force of pathos and slapstick, and there are some angry trees that do justice to the venerable cinematic tradition of angry trees. Another high point is when Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) gets wet.

As for plot, there are several, and also the usual complement of celebrity voices and peppy pop songs. The death of the king leaves Shrek as the reluctant heir to the throne, and the ogre sails off to find a replacement in the person of Artie, a prep-school bully magnet with the voice of Justin Timberlake. Meanwhile the disgraced Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), exiled to a career in dinner theater, organizes a rebellion of fairy-tale villains. Eric Idle plays Merlin as a hippy druid, and Larry King and Regis Philbin do fine work as ugly stepsisters. And of course Eddie Murphy is the indispensable Donkey.

If I sound a bit disenchanted, that may be because disenchantment has been the point of the “Shrek” movies all along. Expressing a sometimes explicit animus against the Disney versions of well-known European folk tales, the franchise set out from the start to scramble the traditional polarities of good and evil, setting itself up as a more sophisticated, knowing brand of pop-culture magic. But those old stories — and those classic Disney movies — were almost more complicated than the parodies allowed. Their eerie subtexts and haunting ambiguities have always been more crucial to their power and appeal than the overt lessons they teach.

“Shrek,” “Shrek 2” and “Shrek the Third,” by contrast, are flat and simple, hectic and amusing without being especially thrilling or complex. Their naughty insouciance makes their inevitable lapses into sentimental moralism all the more glaring. In this movie we hear some speeches about how it’s important not to care about what other people think of you, and to be yourself above all. Yeah, fine, whatever. This doesn’t strike me as necessarily good advice, and in any case today’s wised-up kids don’t need life lessons from an ogre. But then again, the kids are not the ones who identify with Shrek as he makes his grouchy way through the life cycle.

“Shrek the Third” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). It has crude humor and cartoon rough-housing.

SHREK THE THIRD

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by Chris Miller; Raman Hui, co-director; written by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Mr. Miller and Aron Warner, based on a story by Andrew Adamson and the book by William Steig; edited by Michael Andrews; music by Harry Gregson-Williams; production designer, Guillaume Aretos; produced by Mr. Warner; released by DreamWorks Animation SKG and Paramount Pictures. Running time: 93 minutes.

WITH THE VOICES OF: Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Julie Andrews (Queen), John Cleese (King), Rupert Everett (Prince Charming), Eric Idle (Merlin), Justin Timberlake (Artie), Amy Sedaris (Cinderella), Maya Rudolph (Rapunzel), Amy Poehler (Snow White), Larry King (Doris) and Regis Philbin (Mabel).

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DVD & Streaming

Shrek the Third

Animation , Comedy , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

Voices of Mike Myers as Shrek; Eddie Murphy as Donkey; Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona; Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots; Rupert Everett as Prince Charming; Justin Timberlake as Artie; Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian; John Cleese as King Harold; Eric Idle as Merlin; John Krasinkski as Lancelot; Ian McShane as Captain Hook; Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty; Amy Poehler as Snow White; Amy Sedaris as Cinderella; Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel; Regis Philbin as Mabel; Larry King as Doris

Home Release Date

Chris Miller, Raman Hui

Distributor

Movie review.

The world’s most famous ornery ogre is back for another misadventure. As the story opens, we find Shrek pining for his stinky swamp; he aspires to nothing more than a quiet life with his wife, Princess Fiona. Palace existence, with its stringent formalities, has become unbearable. And despite Shrek’s best intentions, he’s forever accidentally causing havoc of all kinds.

Things go from bad to worse when the lime-green lug’s frog-shaped father-in-law, King Harold, erm, croaks. The autocratic amphibian’s parting wish? That Shrek would become the next ruler of Far Far Away. Before passing, however, the dying dignitary leaves the door open for one other heir to the throne: a distant relative named Arthur (aka Artie).

Shrek pounces upon that possibility with ogre-sized zeal. With his indispensable sidekicks Puss in Boots and Donkey in tow, Shrek departs for the distant land of Worcestershire in search of the would-be king. And as he sets sail, Fiona informs the adventurous ogre that he’s going to be a father … a revelation that turns Shrek’s thoughts and dreams upside down.

Meanwhile, the ever-scheming Prince Charming sees his chance for twisted redemption. Rallying such disaffected villains as Captain Hook, Snow White’s Evil Queen, the Headless Horseman, Cyclops and others into an angry army, Charming successfully stages a coup, imprisoning Fiona and her high-maintenance posse of princesses (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel and … Doris), as well as Queen Lillian. Charming then dispatches Hook to track down Shrek and the realm’s future king (who turns out to be a wimpy, self-absorbed high school student). That sets the stage for a climatic, dramatic and comedic melee that will determine who lives happily ever after in the land of Far Far Away.

Positive Elements

Like the first two films in this franchise ( Shrek and Shrek 2 ), Shrek the Third delivers strong messages about family, love and self-acceptance. On his deathbed, King Harold tells his daughter that her love for Shrek “taught me so much.” The king who once rejected Shrek now can say, “I’m proud to call you my son.” Likewise, Donkey is full of affection for his four dragon/donkey babies (he married a female dragon in the last film); he tells them he loves them, and they reciprocate.

Shrek is terrified of fatherhood (“No one ever says, ‘Sweet as an ogre'”) but gradually warms up to the idea. Before the birth, he gets in some dad practice relating to Artie, who’s a difficult teen. Artie talks about the struggle of growing up fatherless (his dad abandoned him), and Shrek relates the “difficulties” he had in that area (“My father tried to eat me”). The ogre encourages Artie to be his own man (“People thought I was a monster. I believed them. … Ignore people who call you names, and trust who you are”). It’s a message the adolescent later reshapes to convince the film’s villains to switch sides. “Just because people treat you like a villain doesn’t mean you are one,” he says. “The thing that matters most is what you think of yourself.” Under Shrek’s tutelage and influence, Artie gradually grows from being a pushover to someone self-assured enough to be king.

Still on the parenting theme, both Shrek and Fiona later split the tasks of raising their offspring. And even Cyclops says of his daughter, “Who would have thought a monster like me deserved something as special as you?”

To save Artie’s life when Charming is on the verge of killing him, Shrek confesses some important things that he’s lied to the boy about, which indirectly preserves Artie’s life long enough for Fiona and her princesses to ride to the rescue.

Spiritual Elements

After they find Artie and convince him to be king, Shrek and Co. are shipwrecked and losing hope when they meet Merlin the magician. He mentions the need to “discover your divine promise,” stokes a magic fire and says, “Look into the fire of truth and tell me what you see.” Shrek sees a baby carriage but lies, “I see a rainbow pony,” while Artie sees images of a father bird that abandons a baby bird, which represents his own life. An errant spell from the senile old wizard then transports Shrek and his crew back to Far Far Away … and swaps Donkey’s and Puss in Boots’ souls in the process (a mistake the wizard later mostly rectifies).

Sexual Content

Mabel and Doris are Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, but Regis Philbin and Larry King voice their characters, giving them a drag-queen feel. That makes this line from Doris sound creepy: “I know he’s a jerk, but that Charming makes me hotter than July.”

Other scenes go out of their way to expose effeminate qualities in male characters. Shrek’s royal outfit includes lipstick applied by a stereotypically portrayed effeminate male servant (who later reappears as Charming’s stage manager in a play). A character thinks that Artie is (or looks like) a girl. Shrek compliments Charming on his leotard, then asks if it comes in men’s sizes too.

Shrek and Fiona kiss. Donkey pulls the covers off Shrek and Fiona’s bed, revealing an apparently naked ogre. We see only his stomach, but the shocked Donkey blurts, “You really need to get yourself a pair of jammies.” A princess preparing to go into battle removes her bra (offscreen) and burns it. Others rip off sleeves and skirt hems before combat. One lifts her dress and bares a leg to distract a soldier. (The joke is that in the next instant the ogling men come face to face with one of the ugly stepsisters.) All of the princesses and the queen show a bit of cleavage. Charming’s invading forces changes the name of “Ye Olde Bootery” to “Hooters” by slapping an H and an S on the sign.

Shrek jokes about not knowing where babies come from, and Puss in Boots begins to explain, “When a man has a certain feeling for a woman, a powerful urge sweeps over him…” Shrek cuts him off, but Donkey admits he doesn’t know where babies come from (even though he has four).

Violent Content

Several clashes between Charming’s villains and our heroes include all manner of slapstick violence (though the rogue prince’s takeover of Far Far Away is a bit more intense as the baddies fly into town on broomsticks, then trash it). Donkey’s dragon-wife grabs one invader in her mouth, then tosses him. When the princesses come to the rescue, Snow White commands forest creatures to attack evil guardian trees.

More seriously, it’s implied that Charming was ready to kill Artie. And in rehearsals for Charming’s play, two people playing the part of Shrek are apparently killed (we see the body of one being pulled off the stage). It’s suggested that Captain Hook use his hook to “do a number” on somebody’s face. One of the ugly stepsisters decks the other. We see Artie being bullied at school. The queen is held hostage with a sword at her throat. For a few moments it appears as though Shrek has been impaled.

Jousting, head-butting and other prone-to-injury activities do indeed end in injury. Shrek’s antics sink a ship and set the castle on fire. And an unfortunate person he’s knighting apparently gets nailed (offscreen) with his sword. Donkey intentionally kicks Shrek in the crotch. Babies inflate frogs like balloons.

Crude or Profane Language

Several times, dialogue suggests profanity without actually going there. In a thick accent Shrek calls King Harold his “frog-king dad-in-law.” Donkey asks, “What in the shistershire kind of place is this?” Donkey also begins but doesn’t finish the phrase, “What the…” And after he switches bodies with Puss in Boots, he exclaims, “How in the Hans Christian Anderson am I supposed to parade around in these boots?” The captain of Shrek’s ship says, “You, my friend, are royally…” before the final word is cut off by a foghorn. Lobbed insults include “dork,” “loser,” “freak,” “stupid,” idiot,” “fool,” “moron” and “twit.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Two students emerge from a VW van-like stagecoach with smoke pouring out of it. We’re left to figure out what kind of smoke it is as they laugh and joke about burning “frankincense and myrrh.” Reeling from the body-switch, Donkey blurts, “I haven’t been on a trip like that since college.”

Prince Charming goes to a rough-looking tavern to recruit his army, where he orders a round of Fuzzy Navels for everyone. Puss in Boots looks forward to an “ice-cold pitcher of mojitos,” a traditional Cuban cocktail. After Charming’s takeover of Far Far Away, a bar sign advertises, “Mean Mead.” We see a drunken man stumbling around on the street.

Other Negative Elements

Visual and verbal references to all kinds of bodily functions pop up frequently. Baby poop, dirty diapers, stretch marks, belching, flatulence, projectile vomiting, trimming nose hairs, itchy bottoms, ear wax, body odor and morning breath all receive the comedic treatment. A baby passes gas as one of Donkey’s baby dragons breathes fire—causing an even bigger explosion. A terrified gingerbread cookie has a small piece of pink candy pop out behind him. Mention is made of student bullies who shove others’ heads in “chamber pots.” High schoolers talk about underpants and wedgies, and they mock a teacher named Mr. Primbottom.

Shrek imagines himself naked in front of an audience of babies. (We see the top part of his bare bottom.) Obnoxious adolescents tell Shrek that he looks like a “giant mutant Leprechaun” and affix an “I Suck-eth” sign to Donkey’s behind. Snow White, who sports a tattoo on her upper bicep, gives Fiona one of her (slovenly) dwarfs as a baby shower gift.

If you’ve seen either previous Shrek film, you already have a good idea of what’s on offer here. It’s another cockeyed combination of genuinely positive themes and rollicking storytelling regularly interspersed with what feels like unnecessary allusions to sexuality, drugs and bodily functions.

Some of those moments are merely silly and innocent, such as Shrek’s baby making bubbles in the bathtub. But this well-told tale isn’t helped by its inclusion of a burning bra, mixed drinks, hints at drug use and “playful” approximations of swear words. And then there’s the not-so-subtle running joke about men getting in touch with their feminine side while women get down to the business of battling the baddies. These characters—and the actors who play them—are funny enough without such cheap gags and cheap shots.

Many, if not most, of Shrek the Third ‘s edgiest jokes will sail right over the heads of its youngest viewers. They won’t know what in the world is going on when two high schoolers role out of a smoke-filled carriage. And yet…

Most kids today are growing up on a media diet that consistently portrays drinking, drugs and sexual ambiguity as humorous non-issues—even if in relatively minor ways. The message is that it’s all normal stuff that we don’t really need to think or worry much about. In the end, it’s just fodder for a good laugh, just part of the comedic background.

Which is unfortunate when there are so many good laughs to be had in Shrek the Third , and praiseworthy messages about love, honor, doing the right thing and self-respect to boot. (Of the Puss variety, naturally.)

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Shrek The Third Review

29 Jun 2007

Shrek The Third

Material’s veryimportant. Ask any CGI animator. Sure, they have to force their AMD Opteron processors to conjure up all that flashy ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ stuff, like, say swishy-whizzy magic-spell effects, or the impressive orange glow of dragonflame, but if you can’t make the texture of Fiona’s shimmery dress capture the light properly, if the audience don’t truly feel they can reach out and caress that silky fabric, then the animators might as well all shut down their DL145 ProLiant servers, pack up their HP nx6125 notebooks (“based,” it says in the film’s fascinating production notes, “on AMD Turion 64x dual-core mobile technology to streamline a variety of production activities”) and go home.

Yes, material’s very important. Ask any screenwriter. Like, say, the team behind Shrek The Third, tasked by DreamWorks to come up with a second sequel to the hit movie that was based on a single short story by one William Steig. Steig gave previous directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson great material in the tale of a grumpy ogre who reluctantly takes up the cause of banished fairy-tale creatures. Adamson and his crew stretched it satisfyingly for a box-office-busting sequel, and then passed it on to new boy Chris Miller before disappearing, with a laugh and wave, into a wardrobe. And now Miller’s been left to discover that even good material can only stretch so far before it starts to tear.

If we’re honest, fun as they were, neither of the previous Shreks offered particularly durable central story-threads. Whenever Shrek (Mike Myers) is sent away on a quest – be it to rescue a princess, find a potion or, in the case of this movie, seek out a royal heir – it’s never more than a case of brief, breezy there-and-back-again, with one or two minor diversions (usually some kind of ambush in a forest), plus perhaps a campfire-side heart-to-heart, during which the irascible ogre will at least partially come to terms with whichever self-doubt that’s plaguing him – this time his confidence in himself as a father. But where the films excelled was in their tuning of the background noise, making stars of support characters. Hand on your heart: do you remember spluttering a guffaw at anything Shrek or Fiona (Cameron Diaz) said? No, it was Donkey’s (Eddie Murphy) frantic gabbing, or Puss In Boots’ (Antonio Banderas) dilated-pupils cute act, or the stumbling blind mice, or the gingerbread-man torture scenes that had us laughing out loud.

So it would be somewhat unfair to criticise Shrek The Third for its uninspired main plot (Shrek goes questing while the bad guys – Charming (Rupert Everett), Captain Hook (Ian McShane) some talking trees and a cyclops – get together and decided to seize //their// happily ever after). It’s the fact that the big laughs we expect from the small characters are so damn //sparse// that’s unforgivable. Not that Shrek The Third is without its moments. As Fiona’s amphibian father, John Cleese performs one of the most hilariously protracted and overwrought death scenes you’ll ever see, while elsewhere the gingerbread man is granted a superb life-flashes-before-eyes sequence.

The film’s most telling fault is the fact that it simply doesn’t know what to do with either Donkey or Puss, who ran away with the first and second movies respectively. Here, they don’t even have anywhere to run //to//, and the desperate scrabbling for some Donkey/Puss action results in something that’s less of a brainwave than a mind-ripple: as the result of a misfired spell, they… swap… bodies! Donkey talks with Puss’ voice! Puss talks with Donkey’s! The comic possibilities are, frankly, limited. Donkey/Puss’s tail fluffs up and he hisses; Puss/Donkey cracks wise about being relegated to second sidekick and the joys of licking himself. By the obligatory end-credits number, in which they do a funky disco duet and dance like tipsy uncles around the big names, you find yourself experiencing a most curious emotion: actually feeling //embarrassed// for cartoon characters.

Similarly threadbare are the pop-culture references and satirical swipes that peppered Shreks 1 and 2, while the few that are present are just too vaguely aimed. Prince Charming, it seems, is merely driven by a craving for celebrity, which culminates in a suitably atrocious stage-musical; the Eric Idle-voiced Mr Merlin (the perpetrator of the body-swap farrago) is a daffy, New Age mumbo-jumbo-dribbling type who hard-peddles wacky group therapies; Worcestershire High – the school at which Artie (Justin Timberlake) studies – should provide plenty of jabs at any number of teenage subcultures but instead we get a pair of dorks playing a boardgame, a token jock and some girls who chew bubblegum and say, “like, totally,” lots. Hell, even the groan-inducing puns which have always appeared on Far, Far Away’s street signs are few and far, far between (the only one we can recall is ‘Versarchery’).

And what of that other material? The kind woven from pixels? From Fiona and her fellow princess’ togs right up to all the aforementioned ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ business, Dreamworks Animation once again affirms itself as Pixar’s worthiest CG ‘toon competitor in terms of striving for artful photo-realism. Although, in this pinsharp, so-perfect-it’s-like-giving-your-eyes-blow-jobs HD era, we’ve now reached the point where bold stylistic choices should impress more than simply straining for the clearest reality xerox, and Shrek isn’t really in a position to do that. Its faintly stylised human forms, with their big hands, small feet, long faces and invariably rectangular jaws, do remain disconcertingly mannequinish. No one’s yet done stylised humans as well as Pixar did with The Incredibles, but then Shrek is unfortunately limited by keeping its characters’ look consistent with pre-Incredibles technology and aesthetics.

Question is will the ankle-biting target audience notice any of Shrek The Third’s shortcomings? Probably not. Scenes flit jauntily by, allowing just enough time for a punchline to settle; the pace is fleetfooted and the action suitably slapsticky. Early on, Miller and his team cause a stumbling, tumbling Shrek, restricted by a ludicrous wig, frill and corset, to send a royal function literally up in flames; and later they channel Raising Arizona with a sequence involving a gurgling, burbling multiplicity of innocently destructive Shrek-babies (expect the cuddly toy versions to fly off the toystore shelves). There’s farting, there’s belching and there’s plenty of silly high voices. Plus, moral-wise, kids will find the ‘be true to thyself’ message simple enough to swallow.

So it will prove sufficiently diverting for the little’uns. But let’s remember that the Shrek franchise hasn’t so far reaped more than $1 billion worldwide by simply catering to the kiddies: you need to keep the people who pay for the tickets happy, too. And with the material now stretched so thin, there’s no dressing up the fact that this third installment really does let its older audience down.

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Movie Review: Shrek the Third (2007)

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--> May 21, 2007

Here it is. The second of the most anticipated movies of the summer is here. No, I’m not talking about “Gracie.” I’m talking about Shrek the Third . If the title didn’t give it away, it’s the third installment of the animated juggernaut — the first being aptly titled “Shrek” and the second even more aptly titled “Shrek 2.”

Can number three keep pace with its predecessors? Well, they say the third time around is a charm, right? Right?

Well, not always. This time around our lovable ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) sets course with his trusty sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy, “ Norbit ”) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) to find the heir to the throne of Far Far Away, Arthur (Justin Timberlake, “ Alpha Dog ”). Along the way, they find themselves in a host of situations, some funny, some not so. However, while they’re out, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), who still simmering over his losses in the previous movies, devises an ingenious plan to take over the castle and set himself as king. It’s up to Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and her girlfriends to save the kingdom while her husband is away.

As expected, visually Shrek the Third delivers fantastic CGI (computer generated imagery). Stunning landscapes, fluid motions and a keen attention to detail are all accounted for. Yet, I couldn’t help but want more. The graphics, while extremely well done, are basically the same as the previous movies. I’m from the school of going above and beyond and I felt the animators should have added a new ‘WOW’ factor. You can’t sit on your past triumphs in this town if you want to stay ahead of the game.

Also, as expected, we’re given a very healthy dose of adult humor, wrapped around innuendos and read-between-the-lines dialogue (we’ve got to trick the children of course). As with all movies, some jokes hit and some miss. Mostly, the antics in Shrek the Third are singles intermixed with a few doubles; the only home run I can think of was during the Pinnochio interrogation — even I was getting confused with all the double speak. Yet as stated previously, while there are funny moments, I’ve basically seen the same material in the first two movies.

What I was pleasantly surprised by was the influx of new characters. I suppose it has to be done to keep things fresh, nonetheless, some interesting characters make their debut. Fiona surrounds herself with Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White (reminded me of the Fox Force Five from “Pulp Fiction”). Prince Charming amasses a group of ne’er do wells in which Captain Hook, Rumpelstiltskin, the Wicked Witch and even Geppetto (among many others) are a part of.

In closing, it seems almost ridiculous that I’ve reviewed Shrek the Third . This movie is a beast and it doesn’t matter if it receives so-so or poor reviews; everyone and their mother will flock to the theaters to see it. And so long as my Apple Jacks box has big Shrek head on it, this film will make money — gobs and gobs of it. It’s only question mark is, will it be able to sustain the momentum when “ Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ” comes out later this week?

Tagged: fairy tale , kingdom , monster , sequel , talking animals

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

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'Movie Review: Shrek the Third (2007)' has 1 comment

June 4, 2008 @ 3:05 am Ojay

I really love the Shrek trilogy. But out of all three, Shrek the Third left much to be desired. It was just an okay film, not as great as the first, and not as hilarious as the second.

You are right, everyone and their mother has seen this movie. This is the kind of movie that everyone will see despite what anyone says.

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The summer of thirds continues. We've had Spider-Man 3 so far, which is in the running for biggest disappointment of the year, the third Pirates film is coming up and should be a blast, and we have Ocean's 13 and The Bourne Ultimatum rounding out the group of thirds. This monster month of May continues with Shrek The Third, and thankfully we have our first enjoyable film of the summer. Fans of the first two movies will flock to this one in great anticipation. The movie itself is a treat and will please kids and adults alike, but unfortunately the movie suffers from sequelitis in that it has lost some steam.

While the movie is not as fresh as the first two it does offer plenty to entertain. The jokes come flying in fast and they are funny. There is a lot of physical comedy I guess you could say, but we still have the great popular culture references. There is also tons of humor that will fly right over the younger audience and make the experience worthwhile for adults. I saw a late screening and basically the entire audience was 17 and older and the place was a laugh factory. The movie even got applause at the end. Jokes like Puss saying goodbye to his many lovers or having a line like "You are royally . . ." with the curse word being blocked by a foghorn should give you a good belly laugh. In fact I felt that this movie was less orientated towards kids than the first two. The first two films had their fair share of farts and burps, but this installment toned back on it. The only kid orientated aspect of the film is having Justin Timberlake play Arthur, heir to the throne. Except that Arthur is in high school, so we get a scene of what school life would be like in the world of Shrek. I think a problem that some people will have is that there are so many characters now that it throws off the focus of the story. Characters like Pinocchio and Gingy serve simply as cutaways for jokes, while they are still hilarious it does lower the quality of the film when stacked up to what we've seen before.

The biggest difference worth mentioning is the absence of director Andrew Adamson who made his start with the first two. Adamson's direction was superb and is the reason why the first two are just great comedic family films. Since he is busy with his Narnia empire he wasn't able to direct Shrek The Third. Adamson did do the story but he didn't do the screenplay. The result is a notable lack of structure and timing for the jokes and the story as a whole. It seems as if we are dropped in the middle of everything; there is no set up. Alas this is a sequel, but I think some establishing of the story couldn't have hurt. The other thing I had a problem with was the unbelievable overuse of popular songs. Some songs felt out of place and some just didn't work at all. There were too many songs and not enough score. Harry Gregson-Williams has been part of this franchise since the beginning and he returned to score the third one despite Andrew Adamson leaving. It feels like that they drown out his score completely with all the songs. Granted you don't go see a movie like this for the score, but I think the score played a big part in the first two and I hardly recall noticing most of it this time around. Thankfully he will be getting a score release in June so I can sit aside and give it a listen then.

In the voice department everything is on par with the previous two. The actors give the same enthusiasm to their characters as before and once again Antonio Banderas shines with Puss In Boots. Eric Idle is probably the best addition to the cast as Merlin the wizard. Idle plays Merlin after he's had a nervous breakdown, and the character steals some of the funniest moments in the film.

The bottom line here is that Shrek The Third is not as good as the first two, but it's still better than most animated films out there. I laughed a lot and found it to be worth my time as a summer fare. The lack of focus and structure plus the overuse of popular music didn't ruin the experience, but I do think it shows that when you change directors there is in fact a difference. Go see Shrek The Third and have a good time, it was certainly more enjoyable than Spider-Man 3 that's for sure.

Shrek the Third is out May 17, 2007.

Movie and TV Reviews
Shrek the Third (2007)

Shrek the Third (United States, 2007)

Four words say all that needs to be said about Shrek the Third : more of the same. The problem is, what seems fresh and pleasing the first time through starts to feel a little stale by the time we've gone through it three times (not counting video games and an amusement park ride). The recipe hasn't changed: take a few appealing characters, surround them with slightly off-kilter versions of our favorite fairy tale personalities in a land far, far away, mix in some pop songs and hip cultural references, and keep the tone generally light. It worked beautifully in Shrek and was still appealing in Shrek 2 . By installment #3, it has become a little tiresome. Kids will still love the big green ogre and his wisecracking donkey, but adults may find that the formula is wearing thin. Shrek the Third is a classic example of a movie that exists because its predecessor made a lot of money. ($436 million domestically, to be exact.) There's no creative reason for this movie to have been greenlighted. It's a mass-marketed product, plain and simple, where product tie-ins fatten an already gorged pot. That's capitalism at work.

King Harold (John Cleese), the majestic frog ruler of Far Far Away, is dying. On his way out the door, he names Shrek (Mike Myers) as his heir. This frightens the big guy, so he goes looking for a suitable replacement, and the only candidate is a guy named Arthur (Justin Timberlake). Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss 'n Boots (Antonio Banderas) go on a trek to find him. When they track him down, in a high school, what they discover isn't promising. Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, a coup has taken place. Bitter Prince Charming (Rupert Evert), tired of being a dinner theater has-been, has seized control, imprisoning Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and a few others. When Shrek returns, Far Far Away will not be the kingdom he left. But how hard could it be to defeat the preening prince and his army of fairy tale villains? Just appeal to their better natures.

The storyline shows little in the way of originality or energy, but one wonders where else the movie could have gone since most of the story possibilities were played out by the end of the second installment. The screenplay, which is credited to four writers, isn't a complete bust. In keeping with the Shrek tradition, it contains a few genuinely funny moments and a sprinkling of smart one-liners. For my money, the best sequences occur right after Shrek temporarily takes on certainly "kingly" duties while King Harold is abed. His attempts to bestow a knighthood and christen a ship aren't resounding successes. It's also amusing to watch Snow White (Amy Poehler) go into ninja mode. We've seen something like this before (Fiona in the original Shrek ), but it has a certain entertainment value. There aren't as many pop references as in the previous Shrek s. Two of the more obvious are homages to Rosemary's Baby and The Six Million Dollar Man . Julie Andrews also sings a line from "My Favorite Things."

Shrek the Third is directed by the team of Chris Miller and Raman Hui, both of whom have prior associations with the ogre's misadventures. Miller provided some dialogue for Shrek and Shrek 2 . Hui was the supervising animator for the previous movies. Together, they create what is visually the most impressive entry of the series and arguably the most stunning computer generated animated feature to date. Every frame is sharp, bright, and elegant, with amazing textural depth and attention to detail. More impressively, the newest addition to the Shrek family, Arthur, looks surprisingly lifelike, indicating that it's becoming less of an imposing task to animate people. It's almost enough to forget about the throwaway plot and simply enjoy the way the characters and settings have been rendered.

The voice casting is fine, although half the roster seems to be comprised of current or former SNL performers. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Cheri Oteri (Sleeping Beauty), and Maya Rudolph (Rapunzel) all have significant speaking roles. Also, two members of the Monty Python troupe are represented: John Cleese and Eric Idle (as Merlin). The standout, to the extent that there is one, remains Murphy, although he's not as lively as in Shrek or Shrek 2 . Justin Timberlake is forgettable as Arthur, but that may have as much to do with the whiny character as his voice work.

Shrek the Third follows the formula well enough that it will become a must-see for anyone whose age has not yet ascended into double-digit territory. What's disappointing about this movie is that it offers so little to older viewers. One thing that was true of the previous Shrek s was that they worked so well on different levels that viewers of all ages could enjoy them. Parents could appreciate the films while acting as chaperones for their offspring. Single adults could go without feeling embarrassed. Unfortunately, Shrek the Third seems like so many other, generic animated movies. Take away the Shrek moniker and you're left with a slickly made version of Happily N'Ever After . Artistically, the well appears to be running dry, but that doesn't mean there won't be a Shrek 4 . All that's needed is a box office windfall, and the animators will begin cranking out the next sequel before the black ink has dried on the accounting books for this one.

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Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Grave of the Fireflies (1993)
Shrek (2001)
Grinch, The (2018)
Quest for Camelot, The (1998)
Emoji Movie, The (2017)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Shrek Forever After (2010)
(There are no more worst movies of (voices) Mike Myers)
Mulan (1998)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Norbit (2007)
Imagine That (2009)
Dr. Dolittle (1998)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
My Sister's Keeper (2009)
Other Woman, The (2014)
Holiday, The (2006)
In Her Shoes (2005)

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Shrek the Third Reviews

Both the donkey and the kitty have largely been neutered, and the film’s makers didn’t bother to introduce any compelling new characters to pick up the slack.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 4, 2023

Technically and visually, the Shrek features continue to advance.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 27, 2020

A satisfying sequel that has its charm but isn't quite up to par with its predecessors.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Nov 21, 2019

For Shrek The Third, the third time's a charm.

Full Review | Nov 16, 2019

An agreeable time-passer, nothing more.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 6, 2019

[An] incredibly boring movie with unpleasant characters and a tired, played out story.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Mar 11, 2019

The first two movies had heart, charm, wit, originality, parfait and, most unusually for an animation, characters you could properly care about. This, though, has very little of any of the above, and it breaks my heart.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2018

The comic actresses deftly turn the Disney animated standard of helpless and lovely damsels in distress on its head.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 15, 2018

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 18, 2011

With a plot lacking no urgency, Shrek 3 is a well-animated film containing a few standout, but ultimately throwaway sequences that don't do enough to sustain our interest.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 6, 2010

Computer-animated ugliness

Full Review | Aug 27, 2009

From its humble, elegant origins as a slim children's book by William Steig, Shrek has metastasized into a symptom of and metaphor for the entertainment industry and modern culture in general.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Apr 23, 2009

Shrek the Third has the curse of the third in a bankable series. It is too often sappy, tiresome, and overblown. A franchise such as Shrek, with all the money it has accumulated, should be able to buy a little freshness and originality. But instead

Full Review | Original Score: 2.0/5 | Feb 2, 2009

Apart from some modestly amusing princess shtick and a pleasantly slapsticky opening, there's no real reason for anyone over the age of 11 to see this one.

Full Review | Oct 18, 2008

The best thing it has going for it is its look, which is stunning.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Sep 20, 2008

Though the devious wit of the original remains, it is obscured by too many classic-rock interludes (courtesy of Led Zeppelin, Heart and Paul McCartney) and nudging pop-culture references that seem by now just part of the formula.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 10, 2008

This is a very skillfully made corporate product, but I wonder who, exactly, will be fully satisfied.

Full Review | Apr 7, 2008

The problem with this film is that after a quick, fun beginning they repeat a similar journey from the first film. Except this time, Shrek and Artie argue instead of Shrek and Fiona.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Mar 3, 2008

Your kids may enjoy it, but you would do better to wait for the video.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2008

Feels refreshed and might be -- especially for relieved parents -- the most entertaining film of the franchise.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jan 2, 2008

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Shrek The Third Parent Guide

While some men dream of fame, fortune and power, Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) has his heart set on living out his days obscurely in the swamp he calls home. So when it looks like his royal father-in-law (John Cleese) might croak, which would put him next in line for the throne, the ogre nearly turns green (okay, more green than usual). In order to avoid such an unwelcome future, Shrek gets help form his faithful friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).

Release date May 17, 2007

Why is Shrek The Third rated PG? The MPAA rated Shrek The Third PG for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action.

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

Lumbering, ornery ogres have never had it so good. Fated to be the bad guys in almost every tale, they could only dream of hero status until Shrek came along giving audiences a dose of the unexpected. Lampooning tired stereotypes, Hollywood movies and conventional fairytales, this odorous monster from the swamp fell in love with a cursed princess who chose to remain an ogre herself.

Since then, Shrek (voice by Mike Myer) has made the trek to the kingdom of Far, Far Away. He’s met his new bride’s regal parents (voices by John Cleese and Julie Andrews) and been presented in the royal court. Now all the big, green ogre wants to do is take his wife Fiona (voice by Cameron Diaz) back to the bog where they can live in peace among the fungus and swamp rats.

While still packing it’s share of jokes and parodies (like the lingering, drawn-out, protracted death scene of the king), the script’s pacing lacks the kind of sparkle and snap audiences have come to expect from the crabby swamp dweller and his tag-a-longs. Whether it’s Shrek’s concern over impending parenthood or Donkey’s preoccupation with his kids, these two wisecracking guys appear to be settling into the mid-life doldrums. Although adults may relate to the characters’ concerns, there is less time for punch lines aimed at kids.

Exposing a different side of Shrek (only brief buttock nudity is seen), the movie sidesteps some of the sexual innuendos played out in previous films, however it depicts a group of high school students stumbling out of a smoke-filled chariot where they’ve been sharing a joint between classes. A lit cigarette in an ashtray and references to being high on drugs are also shown. (Considering the MPAA’s recent attack on smoking in PG-13 movies, this appears entirely out of place in a PG film.) Rough swordplay and brief hand-to-hand fighting occur as well when the villains attack the castle. And after being captured by soldiers, Shrek is chained up and prepped to be run through by the nasty Prince Charming in front of the whole kingdom.

Reshuffling the level of content concerns found in earlier Shrek flicks, this third installment waffles between the cliche three strikes you’re out (shortage of jokes and underplayed use of Murphy’s talent) and third time’s the charm (a satchel full of life lessons about accepting oneself and embracing new challenges).

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Kerry Bennett

Shrek the third rating & content info.

Why is Shrek The Third rated PG? Shrek The Third is rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action.

Despite the PG rating, this film briefly (but heavily) implies teens are partaking of illegal drugs, and contains cigarettes (a brief shot shows a smoke smoldering in an ashtray) and alcohol use as well as brief drug references. After the king dies, an attempt to overthrow the kingdom of Far, Far Away results in the city being pillaged by villains who capture Fiona and her princess friends and throw them in the dungeon. Shrek and his buddies are attacked by pirates and animated trees who later capture the ogre and chain him up. One of Shrek’s fans is shot in the chest with an arrow and Artie has a sword held to his throat. Several characters are impaled, slashed or beheaded by swords (limited view of the action). The script includes infrequent sexual references, a cross-dressing princess, brief buttock nudity and some scatological terms.

Page last updated October 27, 2010

Shrek The Third Parents' Guide

Why is Shrek so nervous about becoming a parent? How does his own experience with his father affect the way he feels? What does he learn from his interaction with Artie?

What impact do the students at Artie’s school have on him? Why is it important to believe in oneself despite the opinions of others? Does he learn to accept his role in life?

In what ways is Fiona different than the other princesses? How does she react to Prince Charming’s plans to take over the kingdom? How does she meet challenges in her life?

The most recent home video release of Shrek The Third movie is November 12, 2007. Here are some details…

If you can’t get enough of Shrek-even after this third helping, then the DVD release of Shrek the Third is just for you. Plenty of extra materials are dished up, such as additional scenes ( The Fauxly Grail, Hot Lunch and Cyrano De Artie ), an audio commentary with the cast, a featurette ( Tech of SHREK 3 ), music videos ( Dancing Babies and Donkey Dance ) , interactive games ( Learn The Donkey Dance and How To Be Green ), trailers and a text/photo gallery ( Shrek’s Guide To Parenthood ). There are DVD-ROM offerings as well, including printables, weblinks and activities ( Royal Tournament Games and Shrek Smash Ups ). Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround ( English, French and Spanish) and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English, French and Spanish), with subtitles in French and Spanish.

Related news about Shrek The Third

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SHREK THE THIRD

"deconstructing with heart".

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

What You Need To Know:

(BBB, Pa, Ro, H, O, L, V, S, N, A, DD, M) Light moral worldview dominates with family highly valued and children, love, goodness, trusting your talents, and taking personal responsibility promoted, plus a good deal of paganism, romanticism, humanism, and magic, usually in a humorous context; seven references to poop and butt, some burping and passing gas, and a couple of vomiting scenes; lots of cartoon slapstick violence and several jokes built off killing someone accidentally, which should not be funny; Shrek lies in bed naked and several references to sexual activity, but very lightweight; upper male nudity; reference to drinking at a bar; reference to smoking dope at boarding school; sloth condemned, lying condemned, rejecting parenthood condemned, and avoiding responsibility condemned, with family highly valued.

More Detail:

SHREK THE THIRD is the best written, plotted, and developed of the blockbusting Shrek series. A fractured, deconstructionist fairy tale, Shrek still manages to have a lot of heart, affirming family, responsibility, and doing the right thing.

The movie opens with a much maligned Prince Charming relegated to playing in a second-rate stage play at a cheap dinner theater. Frustrated by the reception of his performance and the overall state of his life, he resolves to return to Far Far Away and take back the throne, which should “by rights” have been his.

Meanwhile, at the castle, Fiona’s father, the recently transfigured Frog King, is dying. In a humorously prolonged croaking scene, the king attempts to convince Shrek he would make a good leader. Shrek has no such desire. He presses the king for a way out, only to discover that there is another in line for the throne, the young teenage Arthur, who’s away at a boarding school across the sea. Shrek, Donkey and Puss-’n-Boots set sail immediately in search of the alternate heir. Before the ship edges out of sight, Fiona cries to the departing Shrek that she is pregnant. Shrek, mortified, cannot imagine being a father. He is, after all, an ogre.

While Shrek is off in search of Arthur, Prince Charming returns with a band of storybook villains to take over Far Far Away. As part of his plan, Prince Charming takes captive Fiona, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, the Queen, and one of Cinderella’s no-longer wicked, very masculine stepsisters. Far Far Away, overrun by looting and villainy, is brought completely under Charming’s control.

Meanwhile, across the sea, Shrek finds Arthur at Worchestershire boarding school, ever the loser and picked on by everyone. At first overjoyed with his newfound privilege, Arthur soon rejects Shrek’s offer, for fear of the responsibilities of kingship. In an attempt to drag Arthur back to Far Far Away by force, Shrek, Arthur, and the crew crash on an island where they meet the aged-hippy Merlin, get attacked by a musically talented Captain Hook, and are transported magically back to the fairy tale kingdom. But, do they make it in time to save the kingdom and stop Prince Charming’s villainy? Does right defeat wrong, in this deconstructed morality tale? And who, in the end, really will gain the crown?

Like each of the SHREK movies, SHREK THE THIRD walks a very thin tightrope. On one hand, it makes fun of almost everything (fairytales, fairies, emotionalism, rationalism, psychotherapy, majorities, minorities, schools, and magic), but on the other hand, it supports family, children, love, goodness, trusting your talents, and taking personal responsibility. Thus, in some strange way, although it was intended to destroy fairytales, the movie ends very much fitting the genre.

While SHREK 2 started slowly, SHREK THE THIRD is funny from the opening scene. A great deal of thought has gone into its production, and the movie is carefully layered to appeal to the old and the young, in the highest style of animated comedy. Indeed, it is quite a brilliant movie.

Some of the humor, however, is mean spirited. There are several instances in which Prince Charming and Shrek injure or kill other actors by mistake but without recrimination. This cavalier attitude toward life was disconcerting. On the other hand, there appears to be a pro-life message about having babies (go figure). There are also gender-bending jokes, which could be confusing to young minds, and, as such, Movieguide(r) urges caution. That said, this is one of the funniest, best-made movies we have seen in some time, and it deserves commendation, especially as most sequels usually are mediocre at best.

Shrek the Third (2007) Review

Flawed and lacking in heart.

Shrek the Third (2007)

The May threequel parade entered its middle portion last weekend with the release of Shrek the Third, the latest chapter in the venerable, animated, fairy tale send-up/satire. My problem with the Shrek films has always been that they’re bubblegum. Despite the huge box office and the rate at which Shrek DVDs are snapped up at Christmastime, they’re too smelted in the modern moods of pop culture to obtain the classic quality of the very movies it’s spoofing.

I hate to say it but the Shrek formula grates in this latest outing. Actually, I don’t hate to say that because the films have always fallen just short being truly annoying save for the fact that the funny in those movies more then outweighed the plot’s reliance on songs and situations that nobody under the age of ten would get (and some no one under the age of 20 would get).

In this film, Shrek (Mike Myers) and his wife Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are filling the throne for Fiona’s dad, the king of Far Far Away. When the king dies, his last wish is for Shrek to take his place, but Shrek is understandably apprehensive about being the head of a kingdom. The only other possible heir and king is Fiona’s cousin Arthur (Justin Timberlake). So Shrek and faithful sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) take off to find him.

Of course, the search for young Artie leads to the gang to the Worcestershire Academy, which leads to some hilarious observations about high school cliques with a medieval bent. This stuff would be funnier if it hadn’t already been done in Not Another Teen Movie. The football jocks are replaced by jousting jocks, the mall princesses say “Ewweth” and all the kids are called to the auditorium for the “Just Say Nay” talk. High school jokes? Come on, Shrek is better than that.

Another part of the problem is that I’m not sure how kids are supposed to relate to Shrek’s anxieties about becoming a father. There’s a whole nightmare sequence where Shrek hallucinates himself literally drowning in baby ogres, clearly a subconscious reflection of his own pre-existing fear of change. I wouldn’t expect the kids that filled the theatre to pick-up on that though, or to get the reference to Rosemary’s Baby and its ominous black stroller. Although, I’m sure the Linda Blair-like projectile vomiting of the imagined Shrek spawn was a conversation starter on the playground Tuesday morning.

I have to admit though that Shrek didn’t seem to be trying as hard with this one, which to my mind was a good thing because the film wasn’t preoccupied with trying to wow us with its cleverness. Blissfully, there was no big, concluding musical number, so the music supervisors weren’t able to show off how savvy and post modern they are. Didn’t stop them though from using “Live and Let Die” as the King’s funeral song, or having Puss serenade Shrek’s impending fatherhood with “Cat’s in the Cradle”; songs that your average kid wouldn’t know or would otherwise consider lame unless sung by a Duff sister.

Ultimately, I think that the film suffers because two essential ingredients that made the other films successful are missing: director Andrew Adamson and screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Russo. It seems that they alone were able to hold Shrek’s paradoxical combination of bitter cynicism and sweet sentimentality. Regardless of such trifle, I have little doubt that a fourth Shrek is in the cards.

Final Thoughts

Adam A. Donaldson, a dynamic writer, crafts a weekly political column for GuelphToday. A former contributor to CGMagazine, he's the force behind Guelph Politico. Outside politics, he writes for Nerd Bastards. Balancing passion with pragmatism, he navigates a diverse range of writing assignments.

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Shrek the Third

Reluctantly designated as the heir to the land of Far, Far Away, Shrek hatches a plan to install the rebellious Artie as the new king while Princess Fiona tries to fend off a coup d'état by the jilted Prince Charming.
When King Harold (John Cleese) of Far, Far Away dies, the clumsy Shrek (Mike Myers) becomes the immediate successor of the throne. However, Shrek decides to find the legitimate heir Artie (Justin Timberlake) in a distant kingdom with his friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to be able return to his beloved house in the swamp with the pregnant Fiona (Cameron Diaz). Meanwhile, the envious and ambitious Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) joins the villains of the fairytales plotting a coup d'état to become the new King. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When King Harold (John Cleese) of Far, Far Away "croaks", it is up to Shrek (Mike Myers), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) go off to bring back the next heir to the throne, Artie (Justin Timberlake). While Shrek and his crew are gone, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) brings together all evil fairy tale creatures in an attempt to take over as the new King. — Film_Fan
When King Harold suddenly "croaks", Shrek is left with the duty and responsibilities of running Far, Far Away as the new King. But Shrek doesn't feel like he is the right guy for the job. The only solution is having someone else take the throne. So Shrek, along with Donkey and Puss in Boots, goes on a search for a rebellious Arthur who is the only remaining heir aside from Shrek. Little does he know is that his old enemy, the ruthless Prince Charming, is plotting to take over the kingdom with an army of fairy-tale villains at his command. Only Fiona and a posse of Princesses are left to defend the kingdom from Charming's wrath. — Blazer346
After King Harold (John Cleese) of Far, Far Away becomes ill, he says that it is time for Shrek (Mike Myers) to be King. But Shrek doesn't want to be King, so he, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) embark on a quest to find the rightful heir, Fiona's cousin, Arthur Pendragon (Justin Timberlake). But while they are gone, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) attacks Far, Far Away and hopes to become King. Now Shrek and his friends must make it back to Far, Far Away before Charming becomes King.
Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are to set to succeed the dying King Harold (John Cleese), but Shrek's attempts to serve as the Regent during the King's medical leave end in disaster. He insists that an ogre as king isn't ideal (everything he touches turns to disaster and his people have to pay the price for the same) and that there must be someone else. Before he dies, Harold tells Shrek of another heir: his nephew, Arthur "Artie" Pendragon (Justin Timberlake). Meanwhile, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) vows to become King of Far Far Away (he is starring in cheap dinner plays at the local diners and is frustrated with his life) and avenge the death of his mother, the Fairy Godmother. Charming goes to the Poison Apple tavern and persuades fairy tale villains to fight for their "happily ever after". Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) set out to retrieve Artie. As they sail away, Fiona reveals to Shrek that she's pregnant, much to Shrek's horror who doesn't believe he's capable of raising children. The trio journey to Worcestershire Academy, an elite magical boarding school, where they discover Artie as a scrawny, 16-year-old underachiever. At the school pep rally, Shrek tells Artie he's been chosen for king of Far Far Away. Artie is excited until Donkey and Puss inadvertently frighten him by discussing the king's responsibilities. Immediately losing confidence, Artie tries taking control of the ship to go back to Worcestershire, and following a scuffle with Shrek, the ship crashes on a remote island where they encounter Artie's retired wizard teacher, Merlin (Eric Idle). Charming and other villains attack the castle, but Wolfie (Aron Warner), Pinocchio (Cody Cameron), Gingy (Conrad Vernon), and others stall them long enough for the castle's occupants including Fiona and her mother Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) to escape. One of the Pigs accidentally reveals that Shrek has gone to retrieve Arthur, and Prince Charming reacts by sending Captain Hook (Ian McShane) and his pirates to track them down. The ladies are locked in a tower after Rapunzel (Maya Rudolph) betrays them, having fallen in love with Charming (but before being locked Fiona sees that Charming is creating the stages for a large play where he plans to kill the entire royal family and its supporters, in front of the public). Captain Hook and his pirates catch up to Shrek on Merlin's island. Shrek avoids capture, and Hook reveals Charming's takeover of Far Far Away. Shrek urges Artie to return to Worcestershire. Instead, Artie cons Merlin into using his magic to send them to Far Far Away. The spell causes Puss and Donkey to accidentally switch bodies. They find Pinocchio and learn that Charming plans to kill Shrek as part of a play. Charming's men arrive, but Artie tricks the knights, and they avoid capture. Later, they break into the castle during rehearsals for the play. Caught in Charming's dressing room, the four are taken captive. Charming prepares to kill Artie to retain the crown. To save Artie's life, Shrek tells Charming that Artie was a pawn to take his place (but this really hurts Artie's feelings as he already had a very low self-esteem of himself, and Shrek had boosted his confidence by saying that the King had personally asked for Artie to return to the Kingdom to take charge). Charming believes Shrek and allows Artie to leave. Donkey and Puss are imprisoned with Fiona and the ladies, where Fiona grows frustrated with their lack of initiative (Donkey and Puss inform that Charming is planning to eliminate the family at the play that very night). Queen Lillian smashes an opening in the stone wall of the prison with a headbutt. While the princesses launch a rescue mission for Shrek, Donkey and Puss free Gingy, Pinocchio, and others along with Dragon and Donkey's children. Puss and Donkey mollify Artie by explaining that Shrek lied to save Artie's life. Charming stages a musical in front of the kingdom. Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Fiona, Puss, and Donkey, the princesses and other fairy tale characters confront the villains. They lose in a showdown: the pigs are kidnapped by henchmen, Gingy is held hostage by knights, Dragon is surrounded by guards, and Fiona is tied up. Artie shows up and gives a speech to the villains, convincing them that they can be accepted into society instead of being outcast. The villains agree to give up their evil ways, while Charming refuses to listen and lunges at Artie with his sword. Shrek blocks the blow and pushes Charming aside, while Dragon knocks over Rapunzel's tower, crushing Charming to death. Artie is crowned king. While the kingdom celebrates, Merlin reverts Puss and Donkey's body swap. Shrek and Fiona return to their swamp, where they become the parents of ogre triplets, coping with parenthood with the help of Puss, Lillian, Donkey and Dragon.

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Movie Review: Shrek the Third

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Author/Source: Brett Richmond

Topic: Movie Review

A review of Shrek the Third including a description of the movie, areas of concern, teachable themes, discussion questions, and scriptures to use.

Overview Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots go on another quest together to find the next king of Far Far Away, while Fiona and the other fairy tale princesses stay behind and defend the castle from Prince Charming and his army of fairy tale villains. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Click to skip spoilers Shrek the Third opens with Shrek and Fiona in the Far Far Away castle where they have been since Shrek 2 . We quickly discover that Fiona's father, the frog, is dying. After the king's death, Shrek, Donkey, and Puss, sail off to find the next king of Far Far Away, Arthur (a.k.a. Artie). As the ship begins to sail Fiona tells Shrek that she's pregnant and that he's going to be a father. The boat arrives at an island where they discover Artie, the runt-like, often-picked-on, character in the local high school. They manage to convince Artie that he's the new king. Meanwhile back in Far Far Away, Prince Charming has gathered an army of fairytale villains to lay siege to the kingdom so they can have their own "happily ever after." Fiona, the queen, and the other fairytale princesses (Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Cinderella) try to escape from the horde of villains only to be betrayed and captured by Charming, who has secretly been in league with Rapunzel. Shrek, Donkey, Puss, and Artie find Mr. Merlin to help them get back to Far Far Away. The character of Mr. Merlin is a retired, over-stressed, high school magic teacher who uses mysticism to get to some of the "father issues" in both Artie and Shrek. Mr. Merlin uses magic to transport the four characters to Far Far Away, and in the process Donkey and Puss switch bodies. The princess cast off their dependence on being rescued from men and instead free themselves from the prison in which they are being held. The movie comes to a climax when Shrek has been captured by Charming and is planning to kill him as a part of a musical play he has planned. Ultimately, Charming is foiled and Artie reaches the goodness that is in the villains to show them that there's another way for them to be happy other than being evil. END OF SPOILERS Concerns The third installment of the Shrek movies maintains the same humor as the previous two. More bathroom humor and mild language, the use of "stupid" and "butt," along with certain attitudes of selfishness and bitterness in traditionally well-loved characters. The princesses are portrayed as self absorbed, bickering gossips rather than the sweet characters you find in their original stories. If the humor, language, and character attitudes offended you in the first two films then Shrek the Third will do the same. There is an additional element of mysticism with Mr. Merlin. Mr. Merlin is more of a goofy, sixties hippy-like character and doesn't really play a strong role in the movie. Even though there is use of magic, it's nowhere near the level of Shrek 2 . Teachable Themes While there are several themes that could be pulled out of this movie, here are the three most predominate and well-established themes:

Self-Acceptance (for kids) When Shrek finds Artie he's the most picked on kid in school... even the "nerdy" kids pick on him. At the end of the film, Artie's soliloquy helps the villains realize that they don't have to be what others have made them out to be. Everyone can determine who they are (villain or hero) based on what they believe about themselves. Artie asks the Evil Step Mother is she wants to be evil, but she says that she once wanted to open a spa. This theme permeates the movie even with Shrek's fear of becoming a father.
Fatherhood (for parents) When Shrek finds out he's a father, he begins to have nightmares and doubts of his ability to be a good dad. While Shrek and Artie are with Mr. Merlin, they both realize that the failures of their fathers has dramatically affected their self-esteem and created feelings of inadequacy. Shrek, whose father tried to eat him, and Artie, whose father abandoned him, both want to be successful, happy, and well-adjusted men. However, they find it difficult without the support and involvement of their fathers. Donkey, on the other hand, is portrayed as a loving father, who at one time just wants to get home to see his "babies."
Self Assurance (for girls) At one point in the movie the heroines realize that they can't wait for the guys to rescue them and will need to take matters into their own hands. There's a strong vein of women's independence and self-assurance that is definitely geared towards the girls in the audience. The image of weak, vulnerable, dainty princesses is shattered when the queen head butts two stone walls in order to free the princesses from prison. From that point on the princesses are seen as strong, feminine characters that are self-assured. Unlike most of these themes, the princesses maintain their feminine qualities and add a nice balance of independence and self-assurance to their already prim and proper image. You won't look at Snow White the same after seeing Shrek the Third.

Biblical References

Matthew 22:37-39 - "Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'." (NLT)
Matthew 11:19 - "The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by its results." (NLT)
Ephesians 6:3 - "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord." (NLT)
Deuteronomy 6:4 - "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (NIV)
1 Peter 2:5 - "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (NIV)
Psalm 139:13-15 - "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth." (NIV)

Discussion Questions

Acceptance : Whose opinion about you is most important: friends, your own, or God's? How does each of these opinions affect the way you live your life?
Fatherhood (for kids): What is it about your father or mother that makes you feel loved?
Fatherhood (for parents): How does your upbringing affect the way you parent?
Self Assurance : What are some of the things that you can do without someone helping you? How did you learn to do those things? What have you done recently all by yourself that you used to need help doing?

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Franchises often see sequels surpass the original film in quality due to changes in directors or styles.
Terminator, Captain America, Toy Story show how sequels can outshine the initial film in improving the franchise.
Spider-Man, Wolverine Trilogy, Mad Max, Evil Dead also demonstrate a pattern of sequels improving over the originals.

Movie trilogies used to rely on a strong first entry before progressing the series, but with the rise of franchises based on popular IPs, more and more first movies end up being less impressive than the sequels . Franchises rely on creating a series of movies that audiences will enjoy. However, there are plenty of franchises that only found their footing after the first film was released.

This isn't to say that they are inherently bad, but the later entries do surpass the original film in quality. This can also occur when a sequel has a change in director or style that drastically improves the franchise . However it happens, there are plenty of movie franchises where sequels outshine the first film, setting a new benchmark for the rest of the franchise.

15 Terminator

An evolution from budget constraints to iconic sequels.

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Terminator	100%
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James Cameron's futuristic sci-fi action series, Terminator , launched his career to new heights in 1984, as well as further cementing Arnold Schwarzenegger's status as one of the biggest action stars of the 1980s and 1990s. However, Cameron's ambition for the film outgrew the budget and technology of the time .

The iconic T-1000 robot from Terminator 2: Judgment Day was intended to appear in the original movie, but due to constraints, Cameron could not make it work in time for the movie . However, this led to the sequel becoming one of the most iconic movies of all time.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Directed by James Cameron, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a direct sequel to the original Terminator and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, and Linda Hamilton. In this installment, John Connor is being hunted by an advanced Skynet prototype from the future. Thankfully, he receives help from a reprogrammed T-800 sent back in time by the resistance to protect him.

14 Captain America

Transforming captain america from hero to legend.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
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The 2011 Captain America movie was a great introduction to the character, and it did a great job bringing the character into the present day MCU. However, when the director was changed from Joe Johnston to Joe and Anthony Russo between the first movie and the sequels, the tone and quality of the movies drastically changed.

2014s The Winter Soldier , and the incredible ensemble film Captain America: Civil War delivered excitement and heroics on a scale that far exceeded the original , and landed the Russo's the gig as directors on the movies that would close out the Infinity Saga.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the ninth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After being awoken from cryosleep in the previous film, Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world. As he adjusts, he must battle a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

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The subsequent movies were able to dig deeper emotionally and explore what happens when kids grow out of playing with their toys. This evolution of the themes, alongside the audience growing up themselves, made the sequels exponentially better than the original.

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The sequel to Pixar's critically-acclaimed Toy Story, Toy Story 2 picks up the story of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) when the cowboy doll is stolen by a toy collector. Learning that he's actually a rare collectible, Woody considers joining the collection along with cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer) until his friends mount a daring rescue mission.

12 James Bond

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From Russia With Love	97%
Goldfinger	99%
Thunderball	85%
You Only Live Twice	74%
Casino Royale (1967)	74%
On Her Majesty's Secret Service	81%
Diamonds Are Forever	64%
Live and Let Die	67%
The Man with the Golden Gun	42%
	82%
Moonraker	60%
For Your Eyes Only	69%
Octopussy	42%
Never Say Never Again	71%
A View to a Kill	37%
The Living Daylights	73%
Licence to Kill	80%
	80%
Tomorrow Never Dies	57%
The World is Not Enought	51%
Die Another Day	55%
	94%
	64%
	92%
	63%
	83%

When examining either the earliest James Bond movie from 1962, Dr. No starring Sean Connery , or Daniel Craig's debut as the character in 2006s Casino Royale , the franchise continued to improve after these projects.

Both of these early entries were good, but as the franchise became more established, and the actors grew to understand the character of 007 even more, the quality continued to improve . In every way, from the action, to the drama, the romance, to the espionage, these films became more exciting and engaging with time and subsequent entries.

The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond's mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.

11 John Wick

Escalating action and stakes across franchise entries.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
	86%
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	94%

John Wick is inarguably one of the best action film franchises Keanu Reeves has ever starred in, and compared to other franchises in general, but the quality did improve after the first movie. The first film is a solid introduction, but the stakes around this deadly assassin hunting down dangerous criminals because they killed his dog feel somewhat underwhelming.

The later films see Wick becoming ever more deadly, facing bigger challenges, and ultimately overshadowing the first entry .

From Standard Tale to Ambitious Adventure

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
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Shrek the Third	42%
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Shrek is one of the best properties to ever come from Dreamworks, with a world built around numerous fairytales that all crossover into the popular series of films. However, the first movie is a pretty standard retelling of the unwilling hero rescuing a trapped princess .

The sequels, especially Shrek 2 , become far more ambitious and creative . Exploring the Kingdom of Far Far Away, introducing a duplicitous fairy godmother, and subverting expectations makes the second entry noticeably better than the first.

A sequel to the classic children's animated film, Sherk 2 follows newlywed ogre couple Sherk and Fiona, whose marriage is tested by a visit to Fiona's parents, the king and queen of Far Far Away. Distrustful of Shrek, the king begins working with Fiona's Fairy Godmother to break up the couple in order for Fiona to wed Fairy Godmother's son, Prince Charming. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy reprise their roles as Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, with a further cast that includes John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Jennifer Saunders, and Antonio Banderas.

The Shrek movies range from very good to very very bad. Which animated film is an All Star, and which one is still Holding Out For A Hero?

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Directorial shifts and quality improvement.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1	77%
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Harry Potter

8 spider-man, from groundbreaking debut to sequel soar and fall.

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In 2002, Spider-Man swung onto the big screen in a way that had never been done before, and it launched a new era for superhero movies. While this first entry did make a big splash, and cemented Sam Raimi's position as an incredible director in multiple genre s, the sequel Spider-Man 2 was even better.

With Alfred Molina playing Otto Octavius, the film took the franchise to new heights and promised a bright future ahead for the series. However, Spider-Man 3 did not continue this meteoric rise .

Spider-Man 2

After defeating the Green Goblin, Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man struggles with self-doubt in both his superhero career and his personal life. But when Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus threatens Peter Parker's loved ones, the web-crawler must stay true to his heroic purpose and don the mask once again in this second installment of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

7 Wolverine Trilogy

Rising from origins to redemption.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
	38%
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	93%

The Fox X-Men movies started strong with a compelling superhero story, and an incredibly strong cast. However, when the franchise tried to break off and highlight their most popular hero, Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman, it failed to hit the right notes with 2009s X-Men Origins: Wolverine .

However, the subsequent entries, The Wolverine and Logan , garnered far more favorable reviews and critical acclaim. Which made the Wolverine trilogy worthwhile, despite the false start of X-Men Origins: Wolverine .

The Wolverine

From origin story to apocalyptic epic.

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In 1979, Mad Max hit theaters and sparked the beginning of an incredible post-apocalyptic franchise. While that first movie proved successful, it was only the beginning for director and writer George Miller's vision . The first film opened the door to sequels and popularized the character and world created by Miller , but it wasn't until later that the full extent of this vision was realized.

From the immediate sequel, which further exposes the wasteland, to the 2015 revisiting of the original story, the franchise continues to improve after the original .

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From The General to Once Upon a Time in the West, there are many classic movies that have influenced George Miller's work on the Mad Max franchise.

5 Evil Dead

From humble beginnings to cult classic evolution.

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The Evil Dead	86%
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	84%

Another Sam Raimi project that greatly improved over time is The Evil Dead . The 1981 original was one of Raimi's first ever feature films, and much of the project had a homemade feel to it . In 1987, he released Evil Dead II .

This sequel revisited the original's events, while also incorporating humor and a unique style that would come to define the series and Raimi's work as a whole. This was a drastic improvement on the original, and helped to move the franchise forward into a new era where it would remain a classic horror franchise for years to come.

4 Planet Of The Apes

Rise, dawn, and war.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
	82%
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes	91%
	94%

The classic Planet of the Apes franchise was a remarkable piece of cinematic history, with the first film raising the bar for sci-fi movies as a whole. However, when the franchise was rebooted in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes , the series took a moment to find its footing.

The 2011 film gave an interesting origin for how the events of earlier movies may have come about, but it didn't have the same epic scale as the originals. Then, in the subsequent entries, Dawn and War , the films began to take shape and drastically improved from the 2011 entry.

Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes is a multimedia sci-fi franchise that began in 1963 with Pierre Boulle's novel, which was later adapted into a film in 1968 starring Charlton Heston. The success of the movie led to four sequels, two TV shows, a remake from Tim Burton, and a reboot trilogy. The Planet of the Apes franchise has also seen success in video games and comic books.

3 Star Wars

Every first episode serves as foundations to galactic epics.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
	52%
	65%
	79%
	93%
	95%
	82%
Star Wars: The Force Awakens	93%
	91%
	51%

Regardless of which trilogy is chosen, the first entry in every Star Wars trilogy serves as a platform for the sequels to build on . These stories were interesting, and helped to build the lore of the world, but the following films introduced epic action, intriguing politics, and shocking twists that drastically improved on the first entries.

However, the first films also provided an important foundation for the sequels to build on, and each is by no means a terrible film .

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

2 Suicide Squad

From misstep to resurrection under james gunn.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
	26%
	90%

In 2016, David Ayers' Suicide Squad earned a respectable three quarters of a billion dollars at the box office (via The Numbers ), but the movie was critically panned. Despite plans to build on the film, and its central characters, the movie and most of the characters were retired after that entry .

Then, in 2021, James Gunn took the wheel and released a sort of rebooted The Suicide Squad movie . Interestingly, despite the film receiving glowing reviews and widespread praise, The Suicide Squad only managed to earn $167 million at the box office, but regardless, it was much better than the earlier entry (via The Numbers ).

The Suicide Squad

James Gunn's The Suicide Squad acts as a soft reboot for David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is again recruiting a group of superheroes for a dangerous mission, this time pairing Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) with Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Savant (Michael Rooker), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), and Javelin (Flula Borg).

suicide squad's harley quinn with the team's weirdest members

From an explosive child to a real-life DC writer, the Suicide Squad has many of the publisher's wildest antiheroes, with some equally extreme deaths.

1 The Purge

Expanding horrors and unveiling the true scope of the purge.

Franchise Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Score
	41%
	58%
	55%
	56%
	46%

The Purge was a novel horror concept about a near future world that had one significant difference from the present: a special Purge day when all crime was legal for one day. The first movie did a great job introducing this concept and exploring one set of horrific events , but it wasn't until the sequels that the extent and scale of this Purge really took shape.

Later entries were more creative, more horrifying, and overall, a more satisfying film, that proved sequels often overtake the originals in franchises .

The Purge is an action-horror-themed film franchise created by James DeMonaco and launched with the first film in 2013. The series is set in a dystopian United States where the country observes a yearly "Purge," where all crime is legalized for twelve hours a year in designated zones as a supposed means to reduce crime overall. The series sees various people from different social and financial groups trying to survive and dismantle the Purge.

32 Major Movie Roles That Were Recast

Things don't always go as planned in the movie world.

Christopher Plummer stepping in for All The Money in the World.

Sometimes things just don't work out. In the movie world, a lot of money is on the line, and that makes some decisions very difficult. On occasion, that means recasting a role for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it's as simple as everyone agreeing that things just aren't working artistically. Sometimes it's worse, like when an actor gets in trouble off-screen. Here is our list of notable times a movie role had to be recast.

Marty McFly (Back To The Future)

One of the most famous incidents of a role being completely recast comes from the production of Back to the Future . The movie was originally being filmed with Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly when they decided to pull the plug and reset with Michael J. Fox in the lead role. There is a belief that at least one shot with Stolz remains in the movie, but the other scenes shot with Stoltz had to be reshot when Fox took over the role.

Christopher Plummer in the trailer for All The Money in the World.

J. Paul Getty (All The Money In The World)

In one of the most infamous recasting situations in history, All The Money In The World had to do major reshoots for the movie after dismissing Kevin Spacey from the lead role of J. Paul Getty. Spacey was in a lot of trouble that doesn't need rehashing here, and the production brought in Christopher Plummer to fill the role. It affected not only the lead role but the supporting roles around it as well, so it had to be a very hard decision to make.

Paddington (Paddington)

When Paddington was first announced, Colin Firth was to be the voice of the beloved bear. Unfortunately, things just didn't work and Firth and the production mutually agreed to part ways after principal photography had wrapped. Future James Bond star Ben Whishaw stepped in and re-recorded all of the voice parts for the bear.

Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Aliens)

It's hard to image anyone but Michael Biehn as Hicks in Aliens , but he was not the first actor in the role. James Remar, of The Warriors and Dexter fame, was originally cast, but he was arrested during production and fired. Biehn stepped in and the rest is history.

The Predator (Predator)

Kevin Peter Hall, who stood 7'2", played the titular Predator in the first two movies of the Predator franchise, but originally, that role belonged to the "Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme is said to have hated the suit and was unhappy with the role , so he left the production.

Lenina Huxley (Demolition Man)

Just a few days into production, Lori Petty split from the cast of Demolition Man . Direct Joel Silver chalked it up to creative difference, though Petty has said that she and the film's star, Sylvester Stallone , simply weren't working well together . Petty was replaced with Sandra Bullock and it helped launch her to superstardom.

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Marlin (Finding Nemo)

William H. Macy was Disney's first choice for the role of Marlin in Finding Nemo . The veteran actor had, according to the DVD commentary, reportedly recorded almost all his dialog for the part when the studio decided to go a different direction, artistically and brought in Albert Brooks to take over.

Marianne Peters (Army Of The Dead)

One of the more dramatic revamps came from Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. Chris D’Elia was originally cast in the role that would eventually become Marianne Peters in the movie. D’Elia was fired from the production after facing serious accusations from women and Tig Notaro was hired to fill the role , completely changing the gender of the character.

V (V For Vendetta)

James Purefoy was the first actor hired to play the masked V in V for Vendetta , but he reportedly wasn't happy about wearing the mask during production and left the film, though he has strongly disputed that and has explained that he left the production over creative difference . Hugo Weaving was hired to take over and the rest is history.

Christof (The Truman Show)

Talk about a "what if", Dennis Hopper was originally in the role of Christof in The Truman Show. It's not exactly a total miscasting, but instead of the calm, calculating villain that Ed Harris played, it was sure to be a more unpredictable character, as Hopper was so good at playing.

Captain Benjamin Willard (Apocalypse Now)

Apocalypse Now is one of the most notorious film shoots of all time. One part of that was the recasting of the lead role. Martin Sheen is brilliant as Capt. Willard, but Harvey Keitel was originally in the role. Director Francis Ford Coppola apparently wasn't happy with Keitel's performance and dismissed him a few days into filming.

The Departed Leonardo DiCaprio Martin Sheen

Captain Queenan (The Departed)

Martin Sheen was not the first actor hired for the role of Queenan in the The Departed . Director Martin Scorsese originally went with Irish actor Gerard McSorley in the role. Soon after filming began, though, the legendary director had a change of heart and laid McSorley off , bringing in Sheen.

Eli Sunday (There Will Be Blood)

It is simply impossible to imagine anyone other than Paul Dano in the role of Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood . His performance is simply breathtaking. He wasn't the original actor to film for the part though, that was an actor named Kel O’Neill. O'Neill was let go after shooting began and Dano replaced him.

Wolverine (X-Men)

Can you even believe that Hugh Jackman almost wasn't Wolverine in the X-Men franchise? It's unfathomable today, but it's true. The part was originally supposed to be played by Dougray Scott, but an accident on the set of Mission: Impossible 2 left him unavailable for the part and the rest is history.

Dirty Harry (Dirty Harry)

Clint Eastwood's delivery of the line "do you feel lucky" has become one of the most iconic lines in cinema history, but that line almost went to Frank Sinatra, of all people. Sinatra was, according to Eastwood , the studio's choice for the role, but he turned it down because he reportedly couldn't hold a gun, for some reason.

Tuffnut Thorston (How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World)

For the first two How To Train Your Dragon movies, T.J. Miller voiced Tuffnut Thorston. In the third, however, the voice role was done by impressionist Justin Rupple. Rupple was brought in to recreate the comedian's voice after Miller was fired off the movie due to a slew of legal accusations against him.

Tyler Mane as Sabretooth in 2000's X-Men

Sabretooth (X-Men)

This is a case of an actor being replaced between films in a franchise, rather than on set. In the first X-Men film, Tyler Mane played Sabretooth, but he was recast in an artistic decision by Liev Schreiber, because, according to Mane , he was a better fit to play Wolverine's brother.

Alex Magnussen (Next Goal Wins)

Next Goal Wins, by director Taika Waititi, is a delightful film that had to replace one of its stars for not-so-delightful reasons. The role of soccer executive Alex Magnussen was originally played by Armie Hammer, but due to numerous legal allegations, Waititi replaced Hammer with Will Arnett .

Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

Katie Holmes' performance in Batman Begins was not everyone's favorite , though from what she's said in the past, it sounds like it was her choice not to return to the role. When it came time for the second film in the Dark Knight Trilogy , The Dark Knight, Holmes was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role of Rachel Dawes.

The Tin Man (The Wizard Of Oz)

One of the more famous examples of an actor being replaced in a film was that of the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard Of Oz. Future Beverly Hillbillies star Buddy Ebsen spent weeks on set, covered in the silver makeup for the role and, it turns out, the paint dust made him very sick and it landed him in the hospital. He was replaced by Jack Haley, but can still be heard singing in the movie at times.

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

Christian Bale's performance as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is perfect. How different would it have been had it been Leonardo DiCaprio? We almost found out. According to the film's writer , Guinevere Turner, DiCaprio backed away from the part after Gloria Steinem convinced him to turn down the violent role.

Harry Styles' Jack helps Alice out of car in Don't Worry Darling.

Jack (Don't Worry Darling)

The details are murky over what happened with Shia LaBeouf leaving the production of Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling . The director claims he was fired, but LaBeouf says he quit. Ultimately, it doesn't matter why, as the great Harry Styles replaced him.

Samantha (Her)

Samantha Morton brought her name and her voice to the computer in Spike Jonze's Her, but in post-production, Jonze had a change of heart and recast the voice role , with Scarlett Johansson taking over.

Shrek (Shrek)

In one of the more tragic recasting situations, the late Chris Farley, who had already recorded much of his part , died during the production of Shrek . Farley was replaced by a fellow SNL alum, Mike Myers, and his portrayal is brilliant.

Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart in Panic Room

Meg Altman (Panic Room)

Director David Fincher's Panic Room originally starred Nicole Kidman as the protagonist Meg Altman alongside the character's daughter played by Kristen Stewart. Only a couple weeks into production, Kidman had to drop out after being injured on the set. She was replaced by the great Jodie Foster.

Zee (The Matrix Reloaded)

Zee in The Matrix Reloaded was originally played by Aaliyah, but tragically, the singer died in a plane crash before production was completed. Another singer Nona Gaye, stepped into the role and most of the part had to be re-shot.

Bryce Dallas Howard in Twilight: Eclipse.

Victoria (Twilight)

In the first Twilight movie, Victoria was played by actress Rachelle Lefevre, but just as filming began for the second film in the series, according to Lefevre, she was unceremoniously dropped from the role. Production had even picked up her option for the role before production started. Bryce Dallas Howard replaced Lefevre in the role of Victoria .

Michael Gambon in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series)

Sometimes casting decisions aren't controlled by anything except fate. Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series is a sad example of that. The great Richard Harris played the role of the schoolmaster in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and intended to continue playing the part, but fate stepped in and Harris died before production began on the third film. The equally great Michael Gabon took over for the remainder of the series.

Heath Ledger In The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Tony Shepard (The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus)

Heath Ledger died during the production of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus , but he wasn't really replaced , per se. Instead, director Terry Gilliam hired three friends of the late actor to fill in as Tony in a kind of magical way within the confines of the story, having to rewrite it somewhat. Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp stepped up to help complete the film and play the role of Tony.

Jack Salmon (The Lovely Bones)

In a sentence that is hard to believe, Ryan Gosling was fired from The Lovely Bones because of his looks. According to Gosling , director Peter Jackson was unhappy that the actor had gained 60 pounds specifically for the role. Miscommunication in pre-production left both actor and director not knowing what the other had planned, so just as the film was supposed to start filming, Gosling was dropped and Mark Wahlberg stepped in.

Chico Tyrell (The Lords Of Flatbush)

Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere have one of the most infamous feuds in Hollywood history and it dates back to 1974 and the film The Lords Of Flatbush. According to Stallone, the feud began when they were working together on the film and Stallone asked Gere not to eat some chicken near him. Gere ignored Stallone, got some grease on the Rocky star's pants, and shortly after was fired from the film. Gere was replaced by Perry King.

Aragorn (Lord Of The Rings Series)

Actor Stuart Townsend pulls no punches when he talked about being fired from the set of the Lord Of The Rings movies to EW (via Irish Independent ). Right before principal photography was to begin after he'd spent months preparing for the role, he was fired by the production and, according to him, wasn't paid for his work. He was replaced by Viggo Mortensen in the role of Aragorn.

It's not easy to replace an actor at the last minute, or even well into the game, but sometimes it needs to be done. There are a lot of reasons why movies replace actors in roles, but in most cases, it seems to be for the best.

Hugh Scott is the Syndication Editor for CinemaBlend. Before CinemaBlend, he was the managing editor for Suggest.com and Gossipcop.com, covering celebrity news and debunking false gossip. He has been in the publishing industry for almost two decades, covering pop culture – movies and TV shows, especially – with a keen interest and love for Gen X culture, the older influences on it, and what it has since inspired. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Political Science but cured himself of the desire to be a politician almost immediately after graduation.

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‘godzilla minus one’ dethroned in netflix’s top 10 list by a new movie.

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Godzilla Minus One

This article was published on 6/6 and republished on 6/8.

Well, Godzilla Minus One had a pretty decent run on Netflix’s Top 10 movie list , as things tend to not last too long on there, but after a few days it has been replaced by something else. That would be Under Paris which I will admit, has a pretty unique concept.

I thought this was just a monster movie about a shark, but the concept is that a young climate activist is trying to save a shark in the Seine (the movie is French). The shark is huge, judging by the promotional art, but I’m still not clear on whether this is a Free Willy situation or Jaws, as it’s rated MA and has “gore” in it, according to its descriptors. Guessing someone gets eaten.

Under Paris

With 10 reviews in from critics, it has an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. A few dozen user scores have it at a 39% instead, but both of these are still pretty low so I wouldn’t say either is an official verdict yet. Meanwhile, our buddy Godzilla is sitting pretty with dual 98% critic and audience scores.

Unlike most shows on Netflix, there is not really an expectation of performance among most of the films on the list here, because many are licensed and not Netflix originals at all. Netflix sometimes promises sequels for its own hit films, but while sometimes those happen (Extraction 2) other times they fail to materialize (we are still waiting on more Red Notice and Gray Man films, which Netflix said were coming).

Under Paris is a Netflix original, however, and shark movies from Jaws to The Meg often get sequels if they perform well, so who knows, maybe this is the birth of a new French shark-based megafranchise. A #1 debut is definitely solid, as that means with Netflix’s reach, it’s at least the most-watched movie in America right now.

The rest of the list is almost entirely licensed films, 300 Rise of an Empire, The LEGO movie, Home, Divergent, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Shrek and The Mario Bros. movie. Some of these are a decade old, but this is Netflix, and it has the power to surface whatever it wants when it adds new things. Interestingly, I have seen Super Mario Bros. on this list practically since it was added in December of 2023, over six months ago now.

If I have time maybe I’ll watch Under Paris. Or maybe I’ll just watch Godzilla Minus One for the third time instead.

Update (6/8): Well, as expected, Under Paris did not last long on top, and Glen Powell’s Hit Man took the top spot instead. The new film is a rare wildly well-reviewed Netflix original, thanks to director Richard Linklater of School of Rock and Dazed and Confused fame. It currently has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 95% audience score. Everyone loves it. Here’s the synopsis:

“Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater's sunlit neo-noir stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit man for the New Orleans Police Department.

Preternaturally gifted at inhabiting different guises and personalities to catch hapless people hoping to bump off their enemies, Gary descends into morally dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to one of those potential criminals, a beautiful young woman named Madison (Adria Arjona). As Madison falls for one of Gary's hit man personas — the mysteriously sexy Ron — their steamy affair sets off a chain reaction of play acting, deception, and escalating stakes.”

I am waiting on my wife to give it a watch myself, but I can’t wait, given how good it sounds. Unlike Under Paris, I do expect this to stay on top of the list for a long while, as it’s going to spread through word of mouth really quickly if it is that good.

Follow me on Twitter , Threads , YouTube , and Instagram .

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .

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Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 6/6 and Beyond

June 6, 2024

Say hello to June as we head into summer! As always there is just SO MUCH to do this weekend from amazing concerts at our favorite venues, great movies throughout the city, markets, art exhibitions, and much more just waiting for you! Don't let these fantastic events pass you by; start planning your perfect weekend in Chicago!

Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! RIGHT NOW they are showing Breaking the Bank: Solo Show by E.LEE & Friends ! Plus you can check out some of their prints from their Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works ! You can also see " Saturday Morning Fever ” featuring the works of Griffin Goodman through their virtual gallery! And don't forget to check out the virtual edition of JC Rivera's new exhibition "Still Undefeated" ! Or the All Decked Out virtual show!
Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm!
Galerie F has a fun stock of prints from concert posters, pop culture prints and more!
Rotofugi is the perfect nexus of art and toys! Heawebd over to see what new pieces of art they have in stocks and on display in their gallery space! This month they are showing the Tweedlebop Variety Show: New Works by Michael Fleming!
WNDR Museum is an ever-evolving immersive art and technology experience designed to ignite your curiosity! See exhibits like the Light Floor, Try to Get Higher, and the Digital Gallery. Plus Keith Haring!
Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely!
Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely
“Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future” @ Museum of Science and Industry
Art on the Mar t
Wonderverse takes popular franchises like Ghostbusters , Bad Boys , and more and puts them together in this immersive venue! Enjoy tons of activities including escape rooms, virtual reality games, racing simulators, and more! Plus there are plenty of themed food and drinks for you to try.
NOW- 11/30 Green City Market @ Lincoln Park on Saturdays and Wednesdays!
NOW - 10/31 Chicago: Home of House Exhibit @ Navy Pier
NOW - 10/27 Wicker Park Farmers Market on Sundays!
NOW - 10/27 "007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond" @ Museum of Science and Industry
NOW - 10/27 Wolff's Flea Market @ Allstate Arena on Sundays!
NOW - 7/7 "Titanic: The Exhibition"
NOW - 7/7 Rooftop Cinema Club Fulton Market @ The Emily Hotel
NOW- 9/1 Sportsman’s Club Summer BBQ Series
NOW - 6/30 Rhinofest @ Various Locations
NOW - 6/23 JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival @ Various Locations

THIS WEEKEND!

6/7 Valebol 'In the Round' with Carlile and Elizabeth Moen @ Thalia Hall
6/7 Chicago Friday Night Flights @ Gallagher's Way
6/7 - 9/15 Ravinia Festival
6/8 Malört Crawl @ 3519 N Clark St
6/8 - 6/22 The Lost Kingdoms @ 5531 S Martin Luther King Dr

THURSDAY & SATURDAY, JUNE 6 - JUNE 8 (& BEYOND)

Chicago Humanities: New Talks and Video Archives @ Various Locations & Chicago Humanities Festival YouTube channel, your favorite browser or YouTube app, any time you want some inspiration, All Ages WHAT: Interesting conversations with interesting people! SO WHAT: Chicago Humanities Festival always brings some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Their year may be over, but certainly be on the lookout for updates for next year's season as their website is constantly updated with new talks.

6/6 Jonathan Van Ness: Gorgeously Me @ Park West
6/8 Hip-Hop Is History with Questlove @ Thalia Hall
6/13 Jon Meacham: The Call to Serve @ First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple
9/29 aja monet @ Thalia Hall

NOW WHAT: Head over to take a look at their past events here ! You should also sign up for their email list to get updates on upcoming talks in 2023

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JUNE 7 - JUNE 9 (& BEYOND)

Pleiades Fest @ Elastic Arts Foundation, 3429 W. Diversey #208, Friday 8pm, Saturday & Sunday 4pm WHAT: A festival "dedicated to showcasing the diverse talents within the femme, trans, and nonbinary performance community." SO WHAT: Pleiades Fest will be taking over Elastic Arts for three days of creative and innovative performances and workshop from some incredible artists. Headliners include Heet Deth, Circuit des Yeux, and easygoingtech NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15 per day or $30 Three-Day Pass

Andersonville Midsommarfest @ Clark from Foster to Gregory (just north of Catalpa ) , Friday 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon - 10:00pm,All Ages WHAT: The Andersonville Midsommarfest is back for its 58th year. SO WHAT: The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is bringing the Andersonville Midsommarfest experience to the masses with another fantastic event. Experience over tons musical and entertainment acts across five stages including Ovef Ow , Bev Rage & the Drinks , Finom , Impulsive Hearts , NNAMDÏ , and many more . There will also be plenty of activities for the kids and artisan selling their wares throughout the festival grounds! NOW WHAT: Admission to the Midsommarfest is a $10 suggested donation and there are plenty of fun packages available that include beverage tickets, t-shirts, and more!

Lincoln Square Greek Fest @ St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2727 W. Winona St., Chicago, IL, Friday 5:00pm – 10pm, Saturday 3pm– 10pm, Sunday Noon – 10:00pm, All Ages WHAT: Take a trip to Lincoln Square's Greek Fest ! SO WHAT: St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Lincoln Square is throwing a fun Greek festival! This fantastic fest will allow you to celebrate Greek traditions with authentic food, great Greek dance troupes, a beautiful Hellenic marketplace, and more NOW WHAT: Head over to Lincoln Square and enjoy all the activities.

ChiTown Movies @ Pilsen Neighborhood, 2343 S. Throop St, Various Times, All Ages WHAT: An old school experience for the modern age SO WHAT: Take a trip back in time and head out to a drive-in movie with ChiTown Movies. Ever since the pandemic started and shut down traditional movie screening, a few pop up drive-ins have arrived and ChiTown Movies has persevered, offering up modern movies in this retro setting. Check out their lineup below for showings this weekend and in the future!

6/6 - Dune Part Two - 8:45pm
6/6 - Shrek - 8:45pm
6/7 - Bob Marley- One Love - 10:45pm
6/8 - Back to the Future - 8:45pm
6/8 - Nightmare on Elm St. - 11pm
6/9 - Grease - 8:45pm

NOW WHAT: Tickets are $35 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience

The Neo-Futurists’ The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7:00pm, 16+ WHAT: Quick plays live and online! SO WHAT: The Neo-Futurists are back ! Their Infinite Wrench is an ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience. Now it’s actually a live audience that will be enjoying the performance in person! NOW WHAT : Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $20! The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 8 & 9

Wells Street Art Festival @ Wells St. Between North Ave. and Division, 1400 N Wells Street, Saturday 10am – 10pm, Sunday 10am – 9pm, all ages WHAT: Another year of this beautiful arts festival! SO WHAT: A diverse mix of over 125 juried artists will be filling up this year’s Wells Street Art Festival with their incredible works! Other highlights include the myriad of neighborhood restaurants, excellent live music, and kids’ art activities so everyone has something fun to do at this fest! Check out full details at their website! NOW WHAT: The festival has a $10 suggested donation and fest proceeds will benefit the programs and services of the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association!

The Old Town Art Fair @ Old Town Triangle Historic District, Main Gate at 1900 N Lincoln Avenue, Saturday 10:00am – 7:00pm, Sunday 11:00am – 6:00pm, All Ages WHAT: The Old Town Art Fair is back! SO WHAT : Old Town Art Fair brings over 200 nationally acclaimed artists together for a wonderful market in the charming Old Town Triangle Historic District. In addition to all the great artists selling their work, you’ll have a chance to experience a Garden Walk, Live Music, Food Court and Children’s Corner! C heck out their website for entry points into the fair and all the scheduled programming! NOW WHAT: A donation of $12 per adult is kindly requested. Children enter free!

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Summer Fireworks @ Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Avenue, 10:00pm – 10:10pm WHAT: Enjoy the spectacle of fireworks all summer long SO WHAT: Take a trip to Navy Pier and check out their dazzling display of fireworks! Each show features dramatic and popular music soundtracks with some special occasion soundtracks sprinkled throughout the season. It’s the first fireworks show of the year so kick off summer with this explosive tradition. NOW WHAT: It’s free! Just make your way to Navy Pier, find a spot, and enjoy the show !

THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND

Chicago Blues Festival @ Ramova Theatre,(3530 S Halsted St.) & Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.), various times, All Ages WHAT: Celebrate the Chicago-born Blues tradition! SO WHAT: The Chicago Blues Festival is back with three days of amazing Blues musicians at Millennium Park and a special night featuring Shemika Copeland and Ronnie Baker Brooks at Ramova Theatre ! The festival puts a spotlight on the diverse nature of the Blues as it has influenced countless genres like soul, R&B, gospel, rock, hip hop and more. This year is headlined by the legendary Buddy Guy in one of his final Chicago performances! Check out the rest of this year’s massive and impressive schedule here! NOW WHAT: Admission is free ! Head over to the Ramova on Thursday night and Millennium Park the rest of the weekend and enjoy this great festival!

FIESTAS PATRONALES Puertorriqueñas 2024 @ Humboldt Park, 2800 W. Division & Mozart, Friday 4:00pm - 10:00pm, Saturday & Sunday Noon - 10:00pm, All Ages WHAT : A Humbodlt Park tradition celebrating Puerto Rican culture SO WHAT: Experience a taste of Puerto Rican culture at this fantastic festival! You'll get try some delicious food, shop some incredible vendors, and enjoy a myriad of live entertainment! On Saturday you can also see the Puerto Rican People's Parade which will flow right into the Festival and Carnival grounds! Below is a quick schedule of the weekend but you can head over to their website for more details ! NOW WHAT: Thursday's Community Day is free, Tickets for Friday Freestyle, Saturday, Sunday range from $10-65 and are available now !

Weekend Shows @ Lincoln Hall & Schubas, 2424 N Lincoln Ave & 3159 N Southport Ave, various times, 18+ WHAT: A full weekend of amazing shows at Schubas and Lincoln Hall! SO WHAT: Lincoln Hall and Schubas are some of our favorite venues in the city and they always have something great going on. Check out what's going this weekend at these great venues

June 6 - Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SHARRON PALM, and SAM SELBY @ Schubas FREE
June 6 - Mon Rovîa + Sam Hudgens @ Schubas
June 6 - Nick Wagen + The Back Alley + Westhead @ Lincoln Hall
June 7 - Soccer Mommy (solo) + Mali Velasquez@ Schubas SOLD OUT
June 7 - Meet Me Upstairs Presents: Big Brain Takeover + Merrick Brown + Buen Viaje + Double Dipp@ Schubas
June 7 - Medium Build + Clover County @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
June 8 - Pool Hall Record Release Show + The Orchard + 4x4 Animal Style @ Schubas
June 9 - of Montreal + Godcaster @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT
June 9 - Schubas Garden Party @ Schubas
June 0 - 100% Off Presents: The Fundamental Kink + Sweet Hudson + Superkick @ Schubas

NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!

Movies on the Big Screen and Home @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, various times WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is ready to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies like Solo , Babes , The Misfits , In a Violent Nature , Godzilla vs. Music Box and more! NOW WHAT: Sit back and enjoy a new film at one of our favorite movie theatres in the city!

University of Chicago Folk Festival @ Your favorite spot in your home, All Ages WHAT: A fantastic folk festival SO WHAT: University of Chicago Folk Festival might have come and gone but their digital presence is still around, making sure the wonderful music reaches as many people as possible! You can check out the past few years of performances on their Facebook page and their YouTube channel any time you want! This past year's performers included The Price Sisters, Brian Conway, Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, Ruby John, Sean "Mack" McDonald, and many more! NOW WHAT: Head over to their Facebook page and their YouTube channel and enjoy the show! We highly encourage you to donate to help support this fantastic folk festival!

Julian Ramirez

Shrek the Third Review

Three-dimensional in look, one-dimensional in gameplay..

Shrek the Third isn’t a bad game; it’s an unpolished one. For the millions upon millions of movie-goers this summer, Shrek will work great as a compliment to the experience, though we can’t endorse it any further than a weekend rental. The game captures the feel of the franchise, but seriously lacks any sort of depth or attention to detail, as the game is ridden with buggy areas, odd animation glitches, and an entirely linear design. Any way you slice it, Shrek cuts corners, and though it’s still fun to rip through levels, beating up on enemies with simple combos and gag-based finishing attacks, players who want to dive in will find the waters shallow. The entire game can be played with three buttons (or a button and Wii-mote/nunchuk waggle on Wii), and never goes beyond an average quarter-jerking arcade experience. Put a few hours into the game and you’ll see all it has to offer. If you’re in dire need of some Shrek action this summer, give this one a rent. All others should save their cash for a more committed and in depth gaming experience; Shrek is thin even for a licensed title.

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How universal orlando resort is betting big on ip this summer.

With the opening of DreamWorks Land and new experiences like CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, Universal Studios Florida is embracing pop cultural power to drive attendance.

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CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular will all feature appearances by characters from 'Jurassic World,' 'The Mummy,' 'Fast and Furious,' 'Shrek,' and 'Trolls' franchise characters.

Before construction began on DreamWorks Land, the newest addition to Universal Studios Florida, Dean Orion found himself on a typical walk around the grounds of the theme park. As he approached what was then known as the KidsZone — the park’s earliest strategy for catering to their youngest guests with classic IP attractions like Fievel’s Playland, Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster and Curious George Goes to Town — the sound of a child shouting caught his attention.

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Shrek the Third movie review & film summary (2007)
REVIEW: Shrek the Third (2007)
Shrek The Third Movie Review
‘Shrek the Third’ movie review: third time ain’t the charm
Shrek the Third Movie Review
Shrek the Third Movie Review

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Shrek 3 прохождение. Часть 3
Shrek The Third (2007) movie review
Shrek 3 прохождение. Часть 1
Shrek 3 прохождение. Часть 4
Shrek The Third review
Shrek the Third (demo): Donkey Glitch

COMMENTS

Shrek the Third movie review & film summary (2007)
Indeed, Shrek is the only character in the movie who makes a big deal about his ogrehood. The king and queen (voices of John Cleese and Julie Andrews) have long since embraced their son-in-law, and on his deathbed, the frog king reveals that Shrek is an heir to the throne — one of two, including the feckless Artie (voice of pop star Justin Timberlake).
Shrek the Third
42% Tomatometer 212 Reviews 52% Audience Score 250,000+ Ratings When King Harold suddenly croaks, Shrek (Mike Myers) learns he will have to rule the land of Far, Far Away, unless he can find a ...
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third Reviews. Both the donkey and the kitty have largely been neutered, and the film's makers didn't bother to introduce any compelling new characters to pick up the slack. Full ...
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third. Directed by Chris Miller, Raman Hui. Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy. PG. 1h 33m. By A.O. Scott. May 18, 2007. For all I know, there may be an endless supply of ...
Shrek the Third (2007)
Shrek the Third: Directed by Chris Miller, Raman Hui. With Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas. Reluctantly designated as the heir to the land of Far, Far Away, Shrek hatches a plan to install the rebellious Artie as the new king while Princess Fiona tries to fend off a coup d'état by the jilted Prince Charming.
Shrek the Third
Palace existence, with its stringent formalities, has become unbearable. And despite Shrek's best intentions, he's forever accidentally causing havoc of all kinds. Things go from bad to worse when the lime-green lug's frog-shaped father-in-law, King Harold, erm, croaks.
Shrek the Third
Shrek is a character who won us over in previous films and, for us, is the ideal king for the kingdom, even though he feels unprepared and scared by the inherent responsibilities. Therefore, the question of succession is something that does not please those who liked him, whereas Arthur is a character who never won us over and who only appears ...
Shrek the Third (2007)
A film with a few moments does not win against a good, simple movie. The desire to produce a film merely ended up as a plot device to get Shrek and Fiona back to their beloved swamp. A long, boring plot device. With the passing of King Harold, Shrek and Fiona are heirs to the throne of Far, Far Away.
Shrek the Third [Reviews]
All Reviews Editor's Choice Game Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Tech Reviews. Discover. Videos. ... Shrek the Third DVD Review. Nov 13, 2007 - The third time is not so charming.
Shrek The Third Review
Not that Shrek The Third is without its moments. As Fiona's amphibian father, John Cleese performs one of the most hilariously protracted and overwrought death scenes you'll ever see, while ...
Movie Review: Shrek the Third (2007)
As expected, visually Shrek the Third delivers fantastic CGI (computer generated imagery). Stunning landscapes, fluid motions and a keen attention to detail are all accounted for. Yet, I couldn't help but want more. The graphics, while extremely well done, are basically the same as the previous movies. I'm from the school of going above and ...
Shrek the Third Movie Review
What you will—and won't—find in this movie. Positive Messages. The princesses are selfish and a bit stereotypical. Positive Role Models. Shrek is a kind-hearted ogre who loves his wife an. Violence & Scariness. The villains and heroes of fairy tale lore engage. Sex, Romance & Nudity. Shrek and Fiona are affectionate and kiss; they.
Shrek the Third Review
Shrek The Third is incredibly funny and immensely enjoyable. The loss of Andrew Adamson at the director's chair does hurt the film, but it doesn't ruin it. The only problems are a lack of focus ...
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third (also known as Shrek 3) is a 2007 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig.Directed by Chris Miller (in his feature directorial debut) and co-directed by Raman Hui from a screenplay by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Miller, and producer Aron Warner, and a story conceived by Andrew Adamson, co-director of ...
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a classic example of a movie that exists because its predecessor made a lot of money. ($436 million domestically, to be exact.) There's no creative reason for this movie to have been greenlighted. It's a mass-marketed product, plain and simple, where product tie-ins fatten an already gorged pot. That's capitalism at work.
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third. 1h 30m. Kids & Family,Comedy,Adventure,Animation. Directed By: Chris Miller. DreamWorks SKG. Do you think we mischaracterized a critic's review?
Shrek The Third Movie Review for Parents
Shrek The Third Rating & Content Info . Why is Shrek The Third rated PG? Shrek The Third is rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action.. Despite the PG rating, this film briefly (but heavily) implies teens are partaking of illegal drugs, and contains cigarettes (a brief shot shows a smoke smoldering in an ashtray) and alcohol use as well as brief ...
SHREK THE THIRD
While SHREK 2 started slowly, SHREK THE THIRD is funny from the opening scene. A great deal of thought has gone into its production, and the movie is carefully layered to appeal to the old and the young, in the highest style of animated comedy. Indeed, it is quite a brilliant movie. Some of the humor, however, is mean spirited.
Shrek the Third (2007) Review
Cast: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy. MPAA Rating: PG. Review Score: 6. The May threequel parade entered its middle portion last weekend with the release of Shrek the Third, the latest ...
Shrek the Third (2007)
The trio journey to Worcestershire Academy, an elite magical boarding school, where they discover Artie as a scrawny, 16-year-old underachiever. At the school pep rally, Shrek tells Artie he's been chosen for king of Far Far Away. Artie is excited until Donkey and Puss inadvertently frighten him by discussing the king's responsibilities.
Shrek the Third Review
Verdict. Shrek the Third isn't a bad game; it's an unpolished one. For the millions upon millions of movie-goers this summer, Shrek will work great as a compliment to the experience, though we ...
Kidology Inc.
A review of Shrek the Third including a description of the movie, areas of concern, teachable themes, discussion questions, and scriptures to use. Overview Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots go on another quest together to find the next king of Far Far Away, while Fiona and the other fairy tale princesses stay behind and defend the castle from ...
Movie Reviews, Kids Movies
Family Laughs. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Read age-appropriate movie reviews for kids and parents written by our experts.
15 Movie Franchises Where The First Film Isn't The Best In The Series
Shrek is one of the best properties to ever come from Dreamworks, with a world built around numerous fairytales that all crossover into the popular series of films. However, the first movie is a pretty standard retelling of the unwilling hero rescuing a trapped princess. The sequels, especially Shrek 2, become far more ambitious and creative ...
32 Major Movie Roles That Were Recast
Captain Benjamin Willard (Apocalypse Now) Apocalypse Now is one of the most notorious film shoots of all time. One part of that was the recasting of the lead role. Martin Sheen is brilliant as ...
'Godzilla Minus One' Dethroned In Netflix's Top 10 List By A New Movie
The rest of the list is almost entirely licensed films, 300 Rise of an Empire, The LEGO movie, Home, Divergent, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Shrek and The Mario Bros. movie. Some of these ...
Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 6/6 and Beyond
Ever since the pandemic started and shut down traditional movie screening, a few pop up drive-ins have arrived and ChiTown Movies has persevered, offering up modern movies in this retro setting. Check out their lineup below for showings this weekend and in the future! 6/6 - Dune Part Two - 8:45pm. 6/6 - Shrek - 8:45pm.
Shrek the Third Review
Verdict. Shrek the Third isn't a bad game; it's an unpolished one. For the millions upon millions of movie-goers this summer, Shrek will work great as a compliment to the experience, though we ...
How Universal Orlando Resort Is Betting Big on IP This Summer
A call to Shrek the Third's comically long King Harold death sequence, which is capped off with a rendition of Guns N' Roses' "Live or Let Die," the Swamp Symphony features a recreation ...

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