I went with a friend to see Shrek the Third, and there was this group of people that just would not stay quiet. They were so obnoxiously loud that I thought I was going to have to tell them something. Their laughter sounded like the shrill of million harpies, and their comments would make a monk lose his oath of silence. I exchanged glances of worry with my friend, in fear that the whole movie was about to be ruined by these adults (yes the kids were all quiet and well behaved). This, thankfully, was not an issue. The movie was great! It captured the imagination and attention of everybody in the audience. I soon forgot about my neighbors and was fully immersed in the beautiful world of Shrek.DreamWorks Pictures seems to have found the perfect formula for combining fairy tales and Hollywood. Throw in
a medieval high school, a hooters restaurant, and give Snow White an attitude, and you have the beginnings of what this movie has to offer. I was honestly wishing that I could take a break from this world of ours, to visit “Far Far Away Land” when I realized, we are already there. Sure we are missing the golden meadows, the castles with their pearly walls (well we do have Disneyland) and crazy little wooden puppets running around, but I know my fair share of ogres. I could probably even find you an old captain with a hook that can play the piano (there probably one down on the Venice boardwalk).
The jewel of this movie was without a doubt the acting and personalities of the characters. You can actually see Mike Myers’s performance come out in Shrek through the gestures and facial expressions. This is also evident in Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and strangely enough in Donkey (Eddie Murphy). I mean, the animators have to be masters if they can make a donkey personable, unforgettable, and give him the personality of a comic legend. I believe we will all be thinking back on the animations of the early 2000’s and we will always remember characters such as Donkey or Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas). Adding to the brilliance of the dialogue, and the ever well written story, enter Merlin, played by Monty Python
legend Eric Idol. Joining Merlin, we welcome the voice talents of John Cleese (King Harold), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), Rupert Everett (Prince Charming) and even Justin Timberlake finds a role that (finally) suits him, as a young boy named Artie. I guess all I have to say is this movie was great! I laughed out loud (“lol” for you net junkies) so often I believe this may be the funniest movie I saw this year. The thing that I found interesting about the humor is that it was intended for adults, as much as it was appropriate for children. It seems many animated shows are taking this approach,
ever finding a market in an older audience. The Simpsons are notorious for this, and of course South Park. Going into the movie, all the trailers were “G” rated (disappointment: they did not show the Harry Potter 5 trailer), but the movie itself had colorful characters and sexual themes such as the ever lovable “drag princess” and close proximity of Shrek and Princess Fiona in bed. It was at least tasteful, but I still wonder sometimes, if we have all become too desensitized.Anyway, everybody should go and see this movie (and they will). You will all be entertained, and find complete
bliss in the beautiful environment, dynamic sunsets and fire pits, and the general magic of the movie. I have to admit one thing. There was a moment when I thought the movie was rather slow. But it was only evident because the rest of the movie was so brilliant. Any movie that has non-stop intelligent humor, a great plot, great action, beautiful graphics, and the ever lovable, familiar allusions from two previous blockbuster hits, will eventually run aground and be criticized for any negative aspect no matter how minor. Aside from that one small detail, I would pay 10 bucks to see this movie again. Any animated movie that has Led Zeppelin playing behind an action sequence has my approval.Rating: 5 Stars
Weak: 1 Star Average: 2 Stars Good: 3 Stars Very Good: 4 Stars Excellent: 5 Stars