Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation.  Like the first two this movie uses an all-star cast to voice the characters.  Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett Julie Andrews and John Cleese all return to reprise their roles from the first two films.  In addition Justin Timberlake voices Arthur, a cousin of Fiona, and Amy Pohler, Cheri Oteri, Amy Sedaris and Maya Rudolf voice each of the fairy tale princesses.  Eric Idle, who is also of Monty Python fame also stars as Merlin in this film.

This was the third movie in a groundbreaking new set of films.  The first two movies set the bar pretty high, and from the beginning the producers has a challenge before them. There were some very high expectations for this film and quite a bit of hype.  Typically when a movie is hyped all over the media (and in McDonalds happy meals), it tends to disappoint.  Shrek the Third was an exception to this rule.  While not quite meeting the extremely high bar set by the first two movies, this one does not disappoint.

The movie opens in a similar fashion to the second one.  Prince Charming (Everett) is riding through the forest on his trust steed.  In the first of many clever nods in the film, this one goes to John Gleese and Eric Idle, as the sound of the hoof prints for the dinner show is made by an assistant off stage banging to coconut halves together.   I personally found that quite funny, and thus began my compulsive laughing throughout the film.

Like the first movie, Prince charming is narrating his adventure to save the princess from the horrid beast.  However, unlike the first two, there is no opening of the story book and telling the fairy tale.  This time the Prince is actually on stage at a dinner theater, and the show is not very good.  The “beast” is of course “Shrek” (ie man in a Shrek costume) gets all the applause from the audience.  Prince Charming is quite literally laughed off stage.  Back in his dressing room (the alley) he decides that he will, in fact, get his “Happily Ever After.”

Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, the King (Gleese), who is still a frog, is quite ill.  Shrek (Myers) and Fionna (Diaz) have been running things in his stead.  It was very amusing to watch Shrek try and christen a new ship.  When he leans on it, it accidentally gets pushed into the water, so instead of smashing the bottle of champagne, he throws it.  This off course puts a big hole in the ship, which in turn causes it to not only sink, but somehow go up in flames. 

Shrek also tries to knight a lord, and well, you can use your imagination to figure out what happens there.  The funniest part, in my opinion, was when Shrek and Fiona were all dressed up in courtly garb and presented to the lords and ladies.  Neither one of them have the figures the garb is built for, so buttons and buckles go popping off and flying around the room smashing tables and causing all sorts of craziness.  Again, the hall somehow goes up in flames.

It is clear that Shrek is not cut out for this king business.  Unfortunately, King Harold “croaks” that night and the burden falls squarely on his shoulders.  In a bow to pop culture, as the king is placed in a box and set floating across the pond on a lily pad, all of his frog subjects are off to the side singing “Live and Let Die.”  Before the king died, however, he informed Shrek there was one other person who was also in line for the thrown.  His name was Arthur Pendragon (Timberlake) and he was Fiona’s cousin. 

Thus Shrek sets off on his quest:  go get this Arthur chap and tell him he is now king of Far Far Away.  There is another surprise for Shrek.  AS the boat is pulling away from the pier, Fionna shouts out to him, letting him know she is pregnant.  Donkey tries to reassure Shrek that life is ok after kids, even going so far as to sing “Cats in the Cradle” at the top of his voice.

Shrek has high expectations for this Arthur.  Doubly so when he reaches Worcestershire Castle.  It is, after all, a rather impressive sight.  The castle however, turns out to be a boarding school.  Very cleverly modeled after a California High School (well, the medieval equivalent) complete with gossiping maidens, stoners in a carriage (complete with incense), even a couple of geeks playing dungeons and dragons.  In yet another nod to pop culture a big banner with “Just Say Nay” printed on it could be seen as well.  Shrek, Donkey and Puss trudge through the high school only to find out that “Artie” is so low on the social scale that even the D&D geeks pick on him.  Still, Shrek informs him that he is the new king (conveniently leaving out the fact that Shrek was actually next in line and did not want it) and takes him back to Far Far Away.

While Shrek is off finding Arthur, Prince Charming heads to the Poison Apple Bar where he convinces all fairy tale villains, Captain Hook, the Wicked Queen, a Cyclops, Rumplestiltskin, Mabel the Ugly Stepsister, the Headless Horseman, Little Red Riding Hood, and assorted witches, black knights, evil dwarves, and evil magical trees to join him in a fight for "Their Happily Ever After."  They attack Far Far Away and imprison Fiona, the princesses and the Queen.  All except for Rapunzel, who betrays them and is to wed Prince Charming.  Prince Charming immediately begins work on his final play, where he will kill Shrek and finally have his “Happily Ever After.”

The movie kind of slowed down at this point.  The dual plots sort of stepping over each other, but the comedy kept going.  While trying to relate to Artie, Shrek spouts a bunch of “young people slang.”  According to rumor this scene, widely used in trailers, was not part of the script, but was adlibbed by Myers while he was goofing off.  The producers apparently liked it and threw it in.  Personally, I am glad they did.  There is nothing funnier than watching a big green ogre spit out a bunch of slang.

This freaked out Artie who ran away screaming.  Shrek followed him to Merlin’s house.  Merlin was a former magic teacher at the boarding school who tries to help Shrek and Artie get along.  When Shrek learns that Arties father abandoned him, he relates by telling Artie “my father tried to eat me…I should have realized this when he bathed me in bar-b-que sauce and put me to bed with an apple in my mouth.”  This opening starts a “moment” between Shrek and Artie, a moment which is quickly interrupted by “That’s What Friends Are For” playing loudly in the background.  Shrek and Artie both turn to look at Merlin who claims, “I was just trying to set the mood,” before quickly turning the music off.

The next morning they find out Prince Charming had taken over Far Far Away and they need to get back in a hurry.  Merlin manages to transport them back, but as a side effect, Donkey and Puss had switched bodies.  This was a very funny mini-plot that could have been used more.  The concept was great, but it was very much underutilized.  They were like that through the climax of the film and switched back with little fanfare, though they still had each other’s tails.  I personally would have liked to see more in movie of this particular deal.

The climax itself very much had a sort of after school special feel to it:  more preachy than funny.   I will not give away the details, or the ending, except to say the final sequence with Shrek, Fiona and their babies was worth waiting through the entire movie.  That one part (coupled with Shrek’s “slang”) made the movie worth it. 

There were plenty of pull no punches jokes at pop culture, like the other two, including many nods to the actors and actresses voicing the characters, but some of the warmth was missing.   The relationships between the characters was not as deep as the first two films, though you could tell Shrek did care for Arthur more than he let on when he lied to Prince Charming to save his life.  Overall, this was a good film and worth going to theatre for.  Though they could have done more with this film, you should still expect to laugh, a lot.