Writers: William Steig, Andrew Adamson, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Chris Miller, Aron Warner
Directors: Chris Miller, Raman Hui
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake
Rating: PG
Studio: Dreamworks, Paramount
Release Date: November 13, 2007
When Shrek first came out I was not one to hop on the bandwagon. While I had heard nothing but good things I just never had a chance to get around to watching it to see what all the hype was about. I picked up the original Shrek at about the time the second was being released. Like most people I took a shine to that funny, uncouth ogre. I also loved Fiona, because it’s so rare to see Cameron Diaz playing a character that I like. The fact that she just happens to be an Ogre princess when doing it is beside the point.
Shrek the Third, like most extra movies in a series, is made to continue the story and in some ways, you have to imagine that it is meant to capitalize on all the money that has been made in the past. The important thing is that the movie is actually good. In the case of Shrek the Third, I had little complaints. There were some additions to this story that I really liked, but it’s obvious that if they are planning many more of these they might be overstaying their welcome.
Release Information:
Shrek the Third was released by Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures on November 13, 2007. The theatrical release was out earlier in the year, in May. The HD DVD release is packed with special features, which will be discussed down below. On Amazon, the HD version is available for $27.95 with free shipping.
The Shrek the Third HD Plot
As a third in a line of Shrek’s, the third installment offers all of the names from this series that you may or may not be fond of. You have Mike Myers in the lead, as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as the fair princess Fiona, Eddie Murphy as the Donkey, and Antonio Banderas as the Puss in Boots with a little Zorro flavor. These are your mainstays of the series thus far.
Meanwhile, there are several newcomers this time around. Justin Timberlake, offers the best new performance, in a surprisingly amusing performance as Artie (King Arthur, anyone?) Other memorable performances come from Amy Poehler who tackles Snow White and Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty.
As the movie begins the King of Far Far Away is deathly sick and Shrek and Fiona have been forced to move into the castle and handle duties in the King’s absence. When the King dies, it looks as if Shrek will be next in line, but Shrek is willing to do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen. This causes Shrek and the boys (Donkey and Puss) to head out in search of the one other possible remaining heir. Arty, the other choice, is a fumbling kid with a good heart who just happens to be Fiona’s incredibly distant cousin.
While Shrek is out convincing Arty to come back with him, at home, all hell is breaking loose. An angry mob is out to ruin Far Far Away. The mob, as you may have guessed, was led by Prince Charming. The question is…will Shrek get back in time to save the day?
Of course, there is also the issue of babies. It seems everyone is having some except Puss, who you would think would have some considering how much love he shows the kitties in town. Donkey and Doris have four half Donkey/half Dragon offspring that look like Donkeys with dragon wings that breathe fire. We also find out in the beginning of the show that Fiona is expecting some baby Ogres. I think the babies were my favorite part of this installment of Shrek. The donkey offspring were hilarious and the Shrek babies were cute when they were expelling large amounts of vomit. They made the show worth watching even in the down moments.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting: 
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
Shrek the Third is available in 2.35:1 when in widescreen and 1.33:1 for full screen. To say this Shrek is visually stunning would be an understatement. It is just gorgeous to watch. The scenery is vibrant and appears alive and the characters look absolutely perfect. I noticed little to no blur. When it comes to CGI it’s rare to find it done better than what was offered here. The audio, which was also stellar, was presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. If you were to compare the audio to the video, the video would win out, but both are really the best possible options that could have been employed on this DVD.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are several bonus features available on Shrek the Third. You will receive previews for upcoming and recently released DreamWorks titles (Bee Movie, Charlotte’s Web, Shrek, Shrek Two, Kung Fu Panda, and The Spiderwick Chronicles), lost/deleted scenes, a two minute featurette that offers animation mess-ups, called Big Green Goofs, and Donkey Dance, which is obviously a filler since you are just watching Donkey dance for about 30 seconds.
There are three main featurettes, Meet the Cast (10:41), Shrek’s Guide to Parenthood (2:15), and the Tech of Shrek (9:55.) There is also a DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox that offers videos from various DreamWorks animated films.
Finally there is a DreamWorks Kids feature that is available via the main menu. The options for those special features include Merlin’s Magic Crystal Ball (ask it a yes or no question and it will answer), How to be Green (environmentally friendly advice and tips), Learn the Donkey Dance, and DVD-Rom Shrektivities. The final feature works on the computer and you will need a DVD-Rom to access them.
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Bottom Line:
Shrek the Third isn’t the best Shrek that ever was, but it’s not all that bad either. There were some funny moments and some cute moments. In the end, you may find that it’s not as lively as some of the other Shrek movies, but it is still worth watching. If you’re buying this for a kid they will love it. If you are a huge Shrek fan you might want to rent this one just to make sure it lives up to your standards first. In the end, it’s worth watching, whether it’s worth buying or not is up to you.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Shrek, High Definition, DVD, HD, Comedy, Cartoon, Prince Charming, Dreamworks, Film Review
Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
