Shrek The Third

Remembering this week to go to the cinema on Sunday, I toddled along to enjoy the latest Shrek film.

The trailers started, and I stretched out in the luxury of having no-one near me who could bother me. Yet another trailer for Surf's Up, that surfing penguin movie. Yawn. Looks terrible. Oh what's that? Yet another teen school movie. Oh look, she's the brainy one. Oh look, there's the arch-nemesis character.

Then the title of the film was revealed. And it chilled me . Chilled me to the bone. It was a film called Bratz. Yes, that's right; they've made a film out of those annoying dolls. It wasn't just the film based on merchandising that got me though, it was how crassly awful the film looked. Every high school film cliche in the entire book covered.

Anyway, on to Shrek. Bloody good film, nice premise, plenty of in jokes. Rather sad opening (but nowhere near as depressingly gloomy as Pirates 3's opening), but it even managed to squeeze a bit of humour into the scene.

As usual, the sidekicks and minor characters steal the show all over the place. The gingerbread man, Pinnochio and his desperate attempt not to lie, Sleeping Beauty's narcolepsy, one of the seven dwarves and of course Puss and Donkey. Wise cracks from them had me giggling all the way through.

Of the three, I still prefer the second film. I just think the gags were better and more flowing, and enjoyable from all ages (like the line "Nope....you got them..." after Donkey kicks Shrek between the legs). Still Shrek the Third does have a lot of merits, is highly enjoyable and a good laugh

Score: B-

OQ: Fuzzy navels for all my friends!