Shrek The Third

We’ve all heard the theory that aside from special cases, trilogies only produce diminishing returns. By the time a film hits its tertiary instalment, the creative element has run its course, characters are out of steam and everything falls apart to varying degrees. In regards to the Shrek series though, many feel the returns have been exponentially positive. The second picture managed to flesh out relationships and hint at the odd inside joke without overkill. Such is not the final verdict with weak link Shrek The Third, however. While far from horrible, it fails to meet the high bar set by the franchise. In this case, where the previous movies utilised traces of patience and originality, this film goes for the throat. Supplanting innovative scriptwriting with endless visual gags and pop culture references that will be outdated before Shrek voice-talent Mike Myers relieves himself of the faux-Scottish accent he affects, Shrek The Third slips where its predecessors stood strong. With Shrek The Third, our beloved ogre is on a mission to find the successor to Far Far Away’s throne after the king dies. Naturally, Prince Charming is still seeking revenge after being wronged in the last outing, so his evil deeds get in the way. Oh, and Shrek faces the oh-so-original freak-out over becoming a father to boot. Remember how sitcoms used to introduce pregnancy as a ratings-getter? Still, Shrek The Third maximises laugh content with return visits from one-liner tossers such as Puss In Boots and the Gingerbread Man, the production is visually stunning and with endless extras, including "Shrek’s Guide To Parenthood,” lost scenes, learning to Donkey dance and games, the DVD treatment is a hearty one. We see how a loose script can become a best seller; it’s infinitely interesting, but only to someone born after the turn of the millennium.