Movie Review: Shrek The Third
By Peter Sciretta/May 18, 2007 1:08 am EST
Okay, let’s be honest. The Shrek series never had good storylines, and this has the worst yet. But like the two films before this, Shrek the Third succeeds when it is allowed to wit-fully play with and against the conventions of the fairy-tale genre. The first 20 minutes are jammed packed with three laughs a second. It’s so much, almost too much, that when the story eventually kicks in, the momentum of the film hits a slow-motion like pace (at least in comparison).
Aside from the conventional gags, the funniest moments revolve around Puss and Boots and the cast of side characters. But sometimes the film fails in its play against conventions, which is evident in this movie with a new age magic-less version of Merlin the Wizard. You can barely notice Justin Timberlake’s lack of acting chops hidden behind the animation (but trust me, it’s there), which often (like the other films in the series) appears very stiff.
/Film Rating: 6 out of 10
