 | |  |  | | Media: | HD DVD | | Country: | USA | | Studio: | Dreamworks | | Cert: | PG | | Discs: | 1 |
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Screen captures are for illustration purposes and may not originate from the item reviewed. | | Shrek The Third Review| HD DVD review written by Simon Crust, published 20th November 2007 | Supplied for review by  | Shrek has come a long way. When we first met the big green fella he was a many layered onion at home at his swamp wanting to build a fence to keep everyone one out, content with his own independence. But in a few short years he has a family, friends and the whole kingdom of Far Far Away who knows and respects him. Come this third outing, Shrek Mike Myers) finds himself first in line to the throne and a father to be; when all he really wants is to go back to his swamp. To that end, once he finds out that there is a second heir, Arthur (Justin Timberlake), Shrek and his two travelling companions, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss (Antonio Banderas), head out to locate him. Unbeknownst to them Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), eking out a merge existence as a stage actor, calls upon all the ‘evil’ fairy tale creatures to lay siege to the city so he can reclaim ‘his’ crown and sentence both Shrek and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to death. And thus the plot unfolds in its shallow and easy going nature.
What made the original Shrek so engaging was its perfect melding of story, visuals and sound; it put Dreamwork firmly on the map and a true contender to the throne of Pixar. It may have been small in terms of production but it was huge in execution becoming a phenomenal success. The second outing tamed a little of this genius, enlarging the world but shrinking the story, yet it did manage build upon the success, the visuals and sound melding well, but coming a close second. This third outing has gone one step further, but unfortunately not in the right direction. The story is smaller still and there is hardly anything new added to the mix. Shrek’s woes about fatherhood or trepidation about ruling, pale compared to his journey of discovery in the original. The addition of Puss to the dynamic was a gamble that just about paid off in the second part, the shared rivalry between Donkey and Puss being well realised. Here in this third outing there really is one character too many, the inclusion of Puss may please some but to me it was unnecessary and diluted a working dynamic to nothing. Once Artie comes along what would have worked as a triangle sits too fat as an oblong. Their body swap also being a tired idea. Fiona manages to acquit herself well and we finally get to meet her fairy tale princess friends and all their back stabbing natures; their attack on the city was actually one of the high points for me. But the overall problem was that the visuals and music did not gel anywhere near as well; perhaps it was the choice of tracks used, perhaps the visuals failed to adhere quite so well; there is certainly no big chase scene (Shrek’s rescue of Fiona from the Dragon in part one or his gallop to the city in part two). But more than that even the quieter moments don’t have that edge, who ever chose Live and Let Die as a suitable track for a funeral ….? Add to that the tired writing and puerile attempts at humour and there is a huge stumbling block to get over.
However, all this negativity while working against it in the cinema (where I originally saw it) actually seems to works for it in the home. The film is small and petty and whilst these failed to excite me at the cinema they appear a positive boon on DVD. When Shrek has his heart to heart around the camp fire with Artie, yes it is a pale imitation of the same he had with Donkey, but at least you can identify some; same with Artie’s speech to Shrek at the end, yes it is small, wimpish even, but casting your eye and ear around the picture you can gain an empathy. And with each subsequent viewing the experience grows a little; can it be then, that Shrek the Third is that very same onion we came to admire so? No it doesn’t smell or make you cry, but it could, loosely, be described as multilayered. Oh, it has precious little depth and yet the more it is played the more I warm to it. Enough that with each new viewing and especially if watched with kids there is something to keep me entertained. It is by no means of the imagination the “Best Shrek Yet” as is so blatantly advertised on the cover, in fact its title denominates its ranking, but it is nowhere near as bad as I remember it being in the cinema and having seen it several times now it actually brings a smile to my face.
Movie score : 5 | | 812 word review written by Simon Crust. |  | To comment on this review, click here and post a reply.
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