Shrek the Third

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For the first twenty minutes, Shrek the Third promises to be three times as funny as the previous two put together. The jokes-per-minute ratio (including great lines and visual gags) was higher than anyone should expect for a third outing of a one-gag series. It was clever (a frog chorus singing Live And Let Die), it was witty (a conversation that riffed on Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone) and had some black humour (the death scene that goes on forever). Even the projectile vomit gag was funny. But then, almost suddenly, it falls apart; the jokes disappear and the story slows down to halt. The finger of blame must be pointed squarely at the newest addition Artie (Timberlake), a character who has nothing going for him except being a nerd, and the ample screen time devoted to him is a puzzlement. The third Shrek sees our favourite ogre (Myers) appointed king of Far, Far Away by the dying King Harold (John Cleese). Shrek, discovering that he is about to become a father, doesn't want the job and decides to find Harold's real heir Artie and force him to take the throne. However, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) wants the crown and bands together fairytale villains to carry out his dastardly plan. Everything that made the previous instalments work are present: the makeover of half-forgotten classic tunes, nods and winks to various fairytales and legends, the zaniness, Eddie Murphy and so on. However, familiarity always, always breeds contempt. You could argue that the writers ran out of ideas, but they dreamed up one gem of an idea - the revenge of legend and fairytale baddies - but then didn't do anything with them, as Cinderella's ugly sisters, Captain Hook, the Cyclops and a host of others all appear only to disappear soon after. Shrek The Third was a waste of a great opportunity to say goodbye to one of our most-loved characters in recent cinema.