In 2001, I reviewed and was pleasantly surprised with the first installment of Shrek.  I have to admit, over the years it has been nice to see that review in all kinds of languages as it was picked up by various world-wide media.  I enjoyed it enough to give it 7 out of 10.  In 2004, I reviewed Shrek 2, and later commented on the DVD (and 3-D special feature that came with the it).  I enjoyed Shrek 2 as much as the first and gave it 7 out of 10 as well.  Not great reviews, but ones that showed I really enjoyed the two movies. Shucks, I even purchased the DVDs of both features.  Obviously, I would be there opening day to see Shrek the Third.

I have enjoyed and appreciated the films for all kinds of reasons.  There are the characters, the two-sided humor—some things for kids, some for adults with subtle tendencies—and so much more.  I was looking forward to this new installment since some pro reviewers had stated that it was the best of the three movies.  With comments like that, what else would I consider doing on a Friday morning of release day?

It didn’t take long for me to come to my conclusion about Shrek 3.  While some of the great messages were still there—beauty is in the eye of the beholder, true love conquers all, realizing your full potential, and more—there just seemed to be something missing.

Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly scenes in the movie that are hilarious.  One particular scene I love is when Snow White gets ready to go to battle with the tunes of Led Zeppelin and Heart in the background.  There are also a few great scenes featuring Puss in Boots as well as some of the female characters of the film.  Unfortunately, there are not enough of those scenes, as a large portion of the film focuses on Prince Charming (a character I just don’t like much).  Maybe that’s just me though, I don’t know. Then, there are other good things like seeing Donkey loving on his babies, but overall it just lacks the heart I felt in the first two films. 

In talking to some friends, I realized that one reason many won’t like this film as much is the lack of new character development.  This may not be something that makes a lot of sense to some, especially when looking at an animated film, but I believe this to be the greatest drawback to Shrek the Third.  Sure, we see more detailed roles for some of the previous characters, but the new characters (with the exceptions of babies) are predominantly human.  For me, at least, I found this to be a drawback. 

Not only is the script poor, the animation leaves a lot to be desired.  When comparing it to the first two films, there is little of value in the third film.

The story itself is noble enough in its attempt. We see the potential for an individual to come out of their shell, to see themselves as more valuable than they initially thought.   Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots are there to help young Prince Artie see his potential.  Even those people at the bottom of the bottom have potential and possibility.  But the journey along the way to that discovery is boring and not very entertaining, with the exception of a few moments.

I wish I had more positive things to say about this movie.  I really do, as I long for and desire quality family movies, and am a special lover of great animation.  That being said, I can still recommend seeing this movie, but not enough to pay full price.  Just don’t go expecting a great movie.   I certainly wouldn’t expect it to stack up against the first two, because it isn’t nearly as entertaining.  It is worth seeing though, if for no other reason than the music and the ability to incorporate moments of great comedy.  If you want to find something meaningful in it, you can focus on the potential to help others and the potential to see more in yourself than what you thought was inside.  Whether that help comes from others or comes from God, there are lessons we can all learn.  Philippians 4:13: Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

If it wasn’t for the lessons, this movie would have been a “wait and see on DVD” recommendation. But because the lessons are there, because they are things we can learn from, it makes this movie worth seeing—just not for full price.  On a scale of 1-10, if you take Shrek 1, Shrek 2 and Shrek 3 and add them all up, I would give the Shrek series a 6.  And that is the score I give this latest installment, a 6 out of 10.