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Shrek the Third
DreamWorks Distribution


5.6

based on 35 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 82 votes
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FILM:

GAMES:

Shrek the Third (DS)

MPAA RATING: PG for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action

Starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Eric Idle, and Justin Timberlake

The greatest fairy tale never told continues as Shrek must embark on a new quest to find the true king. (DreamWorks)

GENRE(S):	Animation \| Comedy \| Family/Kids \| Fantasy
WRITTEN BY:	Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman and Jon Zack Andrew Adamson (story) William Steig (book Shrek!)
DIRECTED BY:	Chris Miller Raman Hui (co-director)
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: November 13, 2007 Theatrical: May 18, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	92 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

So far in this year's cartoon feature sweepstakes, Shrek the Third rules.

New York Magazine David Edelstein

Computer-generated animated movies with wall-to-wall jokes can be excruciating, but these jokes are the funniest money can buy.

Variety Todd McCarthy

After a buoyantly funny first half-hour, stylish animated comedy takes a breather before ramping it up again for a rambunctious, girrrl-power finale that provides a convenient springboard for further adventures to come.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Shrek the Third seems at once more energetic and more relaxed, less desperate to prove its cleverness and therefore to some extent smarter.

USA Today Claudia Puig

The world of the fanciful fable looks particularly vibrant this time with its signature blend of realism and fantasy. It is a pleasure to watch these fairy tale folk be themselves -- yet again.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

The journey is not very exciting, but the destinations are inspired.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

Mostly connects with a fairly tight story -- even if it feels less like a movie and more like a really good episode of a "Shrek" TV series.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Gets back the mood, the pleasure and even some of the freshness of its first installment.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Brings back the characters you may have loved, as I did, in the earlier movies: My particular faves are Antonio Banderas' poon-hound Puss-in-Boots.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

I love the princess squad.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Shrek, DreamWorks' big green cash machine, has finally run dry, perhaps not of box office power, but most assuredly of the caustic, fractured fairy tale-isms and the wry, snarky wit that made the first film, and to a lesser degree, the first sequel, so winning.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Four words say all that needs to be said about Shrek the Third: more of the same.

New York Post Kyle Smith

The big new addition in Shrek the Third is Justin Timberlake as the high school-age future King Arthur, but if Timberlake contributed a song to the soundtrack it would have to be "WhinyBack."

Miami Herald Peter Debruge

What does set Shrek the Third apart is the quality of its animation, which reaches a level of expressiveness in the faces that would make even Hollywood's heavily Botoxed live-action stars envious.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

It's not all bad. There is a funny early sequence where Prince Charming is being jeered for his lousy cabaret act in a village pub and a hilarious death-lily scene with the bullfrog King Harold (John Cleese) trying to squeak out the name of his heir while snapping up one last fly.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

A damped-down return to the Kingdom of Far Far Away, lacking the comic energy of the first brilliant film and not measuring up to the second.

The New Yorker David Denby

The plot material isn't as strong as in the first two movies--if anything, it feels a bit desperate--but the anti-Disney joke blunderbuss remains in good working order.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Much of the bite and a good deal of the wit of the first two films are missing here. The rude send-up of beloved fairy tale conventions remains -- somewhat -- but these playful jabs no longer come as pleasing surprises. You expect them. And you expect better.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

A fairly underwhelming experience for man or child -- not so much bad as just more of the same, with little of the original's novelty or freshness.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

The law of diminishing returns is no more apparent than in the movie world. A sequel, with rare exceptions, is worse than the film it follows, and sequels of sequels fare even worse. Such is the case with Shrek the Third.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

There's no disguising the fact that Shrek the Third has come down with a bad case of sequelitis. You know the symptoms: Lots of razzle-dazzle to distract from the hole at the center of the story. You know, the place where fresh ideas should be.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

The end result of Shrek the Third is that you laugh a lot and you go home grumpy.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

I doubt even rabid fans of the first two will consider Shrek the Third a worthy addition to the franchise.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

Blinded by avarice and all out of ideas, once again, Hollywood can't tell when enough is way more than enough.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

Has its moments... But does a kids' movie really need, among other similar touches, a Hooters joke? I, for one, wouldn't want to have to explain it.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

This latest iteration of DreamWorks's money machine has its ups and downs, its longueurs along with its felicities, plus an abiding preoccupation with poop.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

The only thing majestic about Shrek the Third is the title.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Reason to make Shrek the Third: Probable earnings of $400 million worldwide. Reasons not to make Shrek the Third: Played-out characters. Bland villain. Novice directors. Slipshod plotting. No compelling story or emotional depth.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

The big green babysitter is back, but the charm has evaporated.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The real trouble is that the filmmakers consistently choose gags over character.

Film Threat Michael Ferraro

Somewhat of an improvement over the last one, though it still never veers off familiar terrain. Essentially, if you've only seen one "Shrek" film, you've seen them all.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Shrek the Third isn't a movie, it's the extension of a brand.

Empire Dan Jolin

Another summer threequel, another case of slipping standards – not so much in the visuals, which remain predictably impressive, but in the all-important gag rate. To waste both Donkey and Puss is a crime…

Premiere Ethan Alter

It's just a spectacularly lazy movie that's content to trod the same well-worn ground as its predecessors.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Shrek The Third instead goes for less: fewer jokes, less energy, and toned-down characters.

The average user rating for this movie is 5.6 (out of 10) based on 82 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

tj gave it a0:
The first Shrek was good, the second was lousy and this one is insufferable. Amazingly unclever pop culture references. My nephews (ages 6 and 11) liked it--strange that most of the humor is aimed at adults and falls totally flat, but the kids just like anything animated. Well, I guess the producers will make their money. Unbelievable waste of time--like paying 10 bucks to watch a bad tv sit com.

Richard H gave it a3:
I thought this was a really by numbers badly done cash in sequel. To be fair, that's pretty much what I thought the 2nd one was too, but at least the 2nd one made me laugh. I don't think I heard more than five laughs out of the whole audience that was in the cinema to see this. It just wasn't funny at all. Really really poor quality stuff. But hey, I'm sure the kids will like it.

Dan C gave it an8:
Really, really good. Shrek 1 was a masterpiece. Shrek 2 was somewhat mediocre. This is brilliant. The plot is better than 2, the CGI is just beautiful, and it's really funny. Bring on Shrek 4!

Steven F. gave it a3:
Tepid and tired compared to the previous titles. Unfortunately most of the material has been done before and even younger children will find much to like in this third installment.

Bob gave it a2:
They've gone one shrek too far just like the Santa clause filmsand they were just clutching at straws. Some parts were funny and hail eddie Murphy and Antonio banderes for keeping me awake

James M. gave it a9:
I really don't understand why this is getting such bad reviews. In my opinion, this movie was better than the 2nd but not as good as the first. My only complaints are that I feel Donkey and Puss weren't as funny as Shrek 2.

Peat the beat gave it a9:
What is wrong with you people ? The first Shrek was a masterpiece because it set off a new genre and it was different. The second one sucked and is the one that would deserve this kind of press. But the third Shrek was light and fun... the way it should be. Not with a overly long story and a boring déja vu of all that the 2 movies could offer. They couldn't have reinvented the series and people's expectations becomes too high. Some of those jokes are hilarious as hell (is anyone getting those jokes or is it just me?) The -1 of the rating would be for the kid's appeal was a little bit less than the other two.

Shrek the Third DreamWorks Distribution

Shrek the Third
DreamWorks Distribution