| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | SHREK THE THIRD (2007) |
| Director | Chris Miller, Raman Hui |
| Writer | Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Chris Miller, Aron Warner (story) |
| Lead Actor | Mike Myers (voice of Shrek) |
| Cast | Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Justin Timberlake |
| Genre | Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy |
| Release Date | May 18, 2007 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 33m (93 min) |
| Budget | $160 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 6.1/10 |
WATCH NOW
The third installment in the successful Shrek franchise picks up with Prince Charming determined to reclaim his rights to happily ever after status and to the throne of the Kingdom of Far, Far Away.
Lovers of the original Shrek movie will remember the great fun of watching an ugly ogre win out over Prince Charming and other Disney fairy-tale characters as he and his true love Fiona come to accept themselves for what they are. The values from the previous pictures are all there: self-acceptance, selfless love, responsibility while adding a new appreciation of family as Shrek and Fiona (and other franchise characters) begin to have children of their own. Shrek the Third pushes the established characters to the limit. When the Frog King of Far, Far Away dies, Shrek is next in line for the throne. He desperately wants to avoid this role and sets out to find Fiona’s cousin, Arthur, the only other person in line to inherit the throne.
This leads to a high school shtick where the slight “Artie” is found mercilessly tormented by jocks led by jousting champion Lancelot and cheerleader Guinevere and by nerds alike. Artie is happy to be rescued by Shrek, eager to enjoy the power of a king while not ready for the responsibilities. (This parallels the character growth needed by Shrek, who is still not ready for the responsibilities of fatherhood.)
Elsewhere, Charming is rousting an army of fairy-tale villains, appealing to their desire for a share of the “happily every after” they’ve been denied. These include such stalwarts as Captain Hook (Peter Pan), the Evil Witch (Sleeping Beauty), one of the Ugly Stepsisters (Cinderella), the Wolf (Three Little Pigs) and even evil trees from the forest. (The Three Little Pigs themselves, together with Pinocchio, Gingerbread Man, Donkey, and Puss in Boots, continue to be faithful backers of Shrek.)
Meanwhile, back in Far, Far Away, Fiona is imprisoned by Prince Charming, along with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella and Cinderella’s other Ugly Stepsister, Doris. The princesses snipe at one another until Fiona whips them into a feminist cabal, declaring that never again will they wait to be rescued by a handsome prince. Henceforth they will take their fortunes into their own hands.
This level of allusion to pop culture is one of the enjoyable characteristics of the Shrek franchise. The adult audience is kept busy recognizing and chuckling about references to past movies and children’s stories, as well as retro social commentary, while the kids can enjoy the fast-paced animation, drama and action.
Shrek the Third manages to be true to its own character while pushing the exploitation of fairy-tale characters and cultural allusions. Outstanding animation and voice acting make for an entertaining time while not offering anything new by way of characters.
For more movies like Shrek the Third (2007) visit Hurawatch.
Also watch: