Daddy issues
Shrek faces fatherhood in familiar sequel
By John Larsen 05/24/2007
Last fall, there was a running feud between the creators of the animated television shows South Park and Family Guy. South Park argued Family Guy was nothing more than random pop-culture references strung together by trained manatees. As someone who can find humor in gross-out, controversial and referential humor, I found myself on the fence. In the words of Rodney King: Can’t we all just get along?
Shrek the Third covers all its bases by filling the screen with visual and verbal pop-culture references which are funny in the moment but don’t carry the ironic or iconic weight of the first two films. Whereas Shrek and Shrek 2 had a reason for being (rescue the princess, save the kingdom), Shrek the Third feels greener than its leading man. If this film had spots and gave milk, it would be a cash cow.
Not that the intended audience will care, or even mind, as the filmmakers literally shoot hundreds of jokes at the bull’s-eye. Even the Three Blind Mice could hit this target.
When King Harold (John Cleese) falls gravely ill and hands over the keys to the kingdom to Shrek (Mike Myers), the big green ogre is honored but uncomfortable with the job. In order to vacate the throne, Shrek must seek out King Arthur (Justin Timberlake), Princess Fiona’s long-lost cousin, leaving the kingdom vulnerable to the evil Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), still smarting from being robbed of his happily ever after.
There is a lot going on in Shrek the Third, diversions guaranteed to keep the story moving forward and smiles on the faces of the audience. The animation, under the direction of Chris Miller, a storyboard artist-writer making his debut, is slick and persuasive. The jokes come fast and are frequently funny, and the introduction of new fairy tale characters adds additional chaos. What’s missing is the original film’s heart, fairy dust which made us believe an ogre like Shrek deserved a beauty like Fiona. Their mating dance was magical, and their wedding dance was filled with spirit and laughter.
Now the couple is performing the side shuffle, juggling married life with a new baby, and while the results give the writers new territory to chart, it is not nearly as satisfying as the dance. To disguise this, the writers pile on the jokes and references, almost exhausting the audience. Instead of one plot arc, we get three: Shrek goes in search of Arthur, an awkward high school student who even gets flamed by the Dungeons & Dragons club; Charming conspires with other storybook villains to steal back his crown; and pregnant Fiona and her gal pals overcome diversity to save the day.
Writers Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Aron Warner and Miller do an admirable job of juggling all the balls, but those balls are beginning to look rough around the edges. Their go-to jokes still provide laughs, but they’re not gut busters. Eddie Murphy’s Donkey is still four legs of mischief, now married with children (offspring who can warm their own bottles). Puss ‘n Boots (Antonio Banderas) undergoes a transformation which turns him into a real ass. And Fiona, meanwhile, struggles with pending motherhood, a distant husband and an out-of-control baby shower.
Watching Fiona’s quartet of fairy tale heroines transform into a well-oiled fighting machine is the highlight of the film. Fans of Saturday Night Live and Strangers with Candy will appreciate the vocal talent: Amy Poehler as Snow White; Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty; Amy Sedaris as Cinderella; and Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel. Even Donkey’s wife gets in on the action, proving behind every successful ogre and donkey is a fire-breathing woman.
The filmmakers use montages as shorthand to pack as much punch as possible into the proceedings. The hilarious vignettes prove Shrek isn’t ready for fatherhood, much less to rule an entire kingdom. These moments are home to some of the film’s best throwaway jokes, little details which require more than one viewing.
Timberlake is a nice addition, as a wet-behind-the-ears heir and the butt of jokes. Eric Idle tickles the fancy as magician Merlin, in touch with his inner self after a nervous breakdown. After first refusing to help, Merlin eventually gives in and creates a spell to send the group back to Far, Far Away. The good news is, the spell worked; the bad news is, Donkey and Puss ‘n Boots traded bodies. What Merlin describes as a minor side effect becomes a major source of irritation for the duo.
It would be easy to dismiss all this as nonsense and unnecessary — just another trip to the merchandise well. If that were true, then you would be reading another review of a foreign film about a boy and his bicycle. I braved long lines, noisy kids and a packed house to see Shrek the Third, so immediately the film had three strikes against it. Coming out? I laughed, I had a good time, and not once did I believe I was wasting my money.
Shrek the Third isn’t great, and it is not as good as the first two films, but when you set such a high standard it is almost impossible to maintain it. A lot of computer animated fairy tales have tried and failed because they mistake jokes for story. Shrek the Third has enough back-story to support the jokes, so even when the film becomes overwrought, it never collapses under its own excess.
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