No Surprises In Shrek 3

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday June 14, 2007

KILMENY ADIE

SHREK THE THIRD (PG):

Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz,

Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett

Directors: Chris Miller and Raman Hui

*** 1/2

Screening: Greater Union Shellharbour and Wollongong,

Gala Warrawong, Hoyts Warrawong, Roxy Nowra

It is a well-worn cliche, but there is something about first experiences that can never be repeated.

This is exactly the fate of the Shrek trilogy. When the great, green ogre with his Scottish brogue first appeared on cinema screens it was something new, exciting and won over audiences.

The kind-hearted ogre (Myers), his wise-cracking sidekick Donkey (Murphy) and the beautiful Princess Fiona (Diaz) appealed to viewers. The groundbreaking animation and the sharp script, which worked on many levels, was fresh and fun.

Now, with the third film in the Shrek series out in cinemas, audiences are lining up for a new dose of the big green ogre and his pals.

Unfortunately, this time around Shrek is missing something within its many layers.

This is not to say that Shrek the Third is a bad film. In fact, quite the opposite is true because once again the film is funny, the favourite characters are there, the animation has improved amazingly and there are some clever pop culture references.

But there is just nothing particularly new about the film, and this is what will bother audiences once the credits have rolled.

In Shrek the Third the audience first meets the dashingly handsome and shunned Price Charming (Everett) as he continues his one-man campaign to win over the people of Far Far Away and take over the throne.

Charming is performing his own version of a mystery play at a theatre restaurant where he kills an ogre to save the princess and take up the position as rightful leader of the kingdom.

His woeful performance - hampered by hecklers and the audience's love of Shrek - comes to an abrupt end but the scene serves as a brief exposition as to how the ogre came to a position of power in Far Far Away.

Meanwhile, within the castle Princess Fiona and Shrek are waking to another day as the public face of royalty. The king, meanwhile, is on his deathbed.

While Fiona is resigned to her destiny and is preparing herself for the throne, her husband is not so excited about the prospect.

Unwilling to take on his kingly duties sets off to search for another heir to the kingdom.

There are moments in Shrek the Third that are very funny and clever. The scene where Charming questions Pinocchio over Shrek's whereabouts and the wooden puppet provides an answer any politician would applaud, is very well thought out.

As are the scenes following Donkey and Puss in Boots' body swap because of the attention to detail. Donkey is unable to walk on two legs in Puss' boots, and Puss struggles to talk.

The addition of Lancelot, Guinevere, Arthur and Merlin into the plot is great fun, particularly alongside some other new fairytale characters.

Those wanting to see Shrek the Third because of a passion for the first two films in the trilogy will enjoy themselves.

They just need to expect similar jokes, plot and character development and not set their expectations too high because nothing beats the charm of the first.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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