Shrek the Third (PG)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing Shrek the Third
, Shrek Harder (just kidding), possibly the last movie in the Shrek series.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: I am glad to be able to say I really liked a movie again after the last few we have seen. I thought it was funny and entertaining and families will love it.
And you?
Scott: I thought it was kind of funny, but sadly, not as good as the other two Shrek movies.
Mike: I liked this as much as the other two. Once again, we get the amazingly detailed animation, great voice actors and humor.
Scott: This movie finds Shrek, voiced again by Mike Myers, out to find a long lost royal cousin, Artie (Justin Timberlake) to become the new king.
Mike: And why is he looking for him? Because if not found, Shrek will be king and that is the last thing he wants.
Scott: Shrek had to dress and act the part of king, and he didn't like it at all.
Mike: In each of these movies we have watched Shrek grow. In the first movie, he finds his true love. In the second, he gets married. And in the third, it looks like he may have to deal with the logical next step: Fatherhood.
Scott: The fatherhood angle was pretty well downplayed though. From the trailers you thought it would be much more focused upon, but it only came up every once and a while.
Mike: All our old favorites are back from Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to Puss N Boots (Antonio Banderas).
Puss is still one my favorites.
Scott: Banderas really comes out well in the character. He is good with voices. My wife loves the Nasonex Bee that he does.
Mike: I hate to say it but its the best film work he has done in years.
A nice new addition is Eric Idle as Merlin. You can never have too many Monty Python guys in the cast. If you'll remember the king is played by John Cleese.
Scott: Fans of The Office might recognize school bully Lancelot as John Krasinski.
Mike: I like that guy. I'm glad to see he is getting more film work.
Scott: The award for 'looks most like his character' has to go to Ian McShane who voices Captain Hook. He just looks like a Captain Hook.
Mike: There are many villains in the film, but the ringleader is our old friend Prince Charming, played by Rupert Everett. I think Charming is the only one who doesn't know he's gay.
Scott: I don't think he's gay though, he was just spoiled by his mom; he's a mamma's boy.
Mike: Alright, let’s go with effeminate, then.
Scott: I just noticed that Larry King voiced Doris, one of the stepsisters. I recognized the voice, but only vaguely.
Mike: Let me also mention that there is another Saturday Night Live connection, for the second week in a row.
Scott: I guess there are so many former SNL actors out there now that they are bound to turn up in every new movie.
Mike: The princesses are voiced by Amy Poehler (she's everywhere), Maya Rudolph and Cheri Oteri.
Also throw in Amy Sedaris from Strangers with Candy for good measure.
I just noticed our buddy Keen Eddie, Mark Valley voiced the Cyclops.
Scott: Keen Eddie, best one season show ever
This is co-directors Chris Miller and Raman Hui's first movie.
Mike: Regardless of who directs these, I think of these as Mike Meyers movies. I'm sure he has a ton of input.
Scott: Writer Andrew Adamson also wrote Shrek 2 and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
Mike: Interesting, because this film has more the feel of the second than the first Shrek.
What did you think of the soundtrack?
Scott: Glad you mentioned it. While I thought the movie was the most kid-focused out of all of the Shrek movies, I thought the soundtrack was decidedly adult. Led Zeppelin, Heart, and several others were heard.
What stood out for you?
Mike: Those and a nice mixture of new groups like Wolf Mother and Damien Rice.
Don't forget the frogs singing Live and Let Die.
Scott: While I thought that was funny, it also made no sense to me. Most of the time they play off words, like (what was that archery store?). I was trying to connect the frogs to the Wings, and I couldn't.
Mike: Paul McCartney did the original. Does that count?
Scott: I know there was a direct connection to the king, but I kept thinking there was a joke there I was missing.
Mike: You say kid-focused, but like in the other films there was healthy dose of humor that will go right over kid's heads. And references to shows and movies they wouldn't know anything about.
I loved when the gingerbread man's life flashed before his eyes, but I guarantee most kids won't get it. How many do you think know who the Six Million Dollar Man is?
Scott: I liked that scene. There were some good parts, but a lot of them were shown in the trailers.
Mike: Isn't that always the case about trailers? The funny thing is I spend the whole movie waiting for jokes and scenes I have already seen in the trailer. Why is that?
Scott: For really funny movies, it's not an issue. For me, this wasn't that funny.
Mike: Many times I still laugh during the movie, because the scene is funnier in context. Even though it was in the trailer, the gingerbread man and the gumdrop had me rolling.
Scott: What do you rate this?
Mike: I know you are not going to believe this, but I am giving it a 4 overall and a 3.5 as an animated comedy. Even though the length of this movie is pretty normal at around 90 minutes, I felt like it just flew by.
So what did you think?
Scott: I thought the slow parts, of which there were several, dragged the movie down. I give this a 2 overall and a 2 for animated comedy. I think the kids will love it and I hope the series is wrapped up with this movie.
Mike: I agree that kids will love this movie.
Summer is not even here yet and we are already knee deep in the summer of Part Three.
Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, Oceans 13 (part 3) Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Rush Hour 3, Bourne Ultimatum (part3)...
Scott: I would say it's the summer of sequels in general, we have 2's through 5's.
How about an original idea this summer?
