Greenness fades in ‘Shrek the Third’

For die-hard “Shrek” fans, “Shrek the Third” is sure to entertain, but it leaves new viewers behind. As the movie opens, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are dealing with the trials of ruling Far Far Away and Fiona’s father slowly succumbing to an illness. At his deathbed, King Harold (John Cleese) reminds Shrek that he is next in line for the throne along with another relative, Arthur.

Desperate to return to his swamp, Shrek sets off to find Arthur along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). As the trio depart, Fiona informs Shrek that he is about to become a father. This sends Shrek into a tailspin as he copes with his feelings regarding fatherhood, a major theme for the film.

While Shrek embarks on a quest to find Arthur, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) is scheming to take the throne away from Shrek and Fiona with the help of the fairy tale villains and their sidekicks. This scheme involves crashing Fiona’s baby shower and imprisoning her along with her friends.

The journey to find Arthur leads them to Worcestershire, a medieval high school. After a few jokes regarding high school stereotypes, Shrek begins the task of convincing outcast Artie (Justin Timberlake) to take the throne. At this point, the plot becomes slightly confusing as the focus shifts away from the original story to just a barrage of jokes.

Eventually, Shrek and his cohorts venture back to Far Far Away and confront the newly crowned King Charming. The ensuing battle forces Shrek to assume a more fatherly role regarding Arthur, who is exhibiting the classic signs of teenage angst.

The movie has the same components as the first two but fails to piece them together in an original fashion. Overall, “Shrek the Third” is a mediocre movie. For fans of the series and those with small children, “Shrek” is worth the admission price. For everyone else, it would be better to wait for the DVD.