Shrek The Third

directed by Chris Miller

The land of Far, Far Away is in turmoil as the king, Fiona's father, is taken seriously ill. Fiona and Shrek have to stand in as king and queen. But Shrek's attempts to play the role of monarch fall flat, and the clumsy ogre presides over one disaster after another.

Feeling that he's not cut out for kingship, Shrek goes on a journey to find the only other royal heir, Arthur. Only Shrek finds that he isn't the only one who doesn't feel ready for leadership. Fiona's cousin Artie is loser-in-chief at his high school, and hardly the kind of person who would make the obvious ideal candidate for the throne. Artie agrees, and is determined to thwart Shrek's plans for him every step of the way.

Shrek isn't too keen on the idea of responsibility either. Not only does he not want to be king, he is terrified when Fiona tells him he is going to be a father.

Yet there is someone both arrogant and stupid enough to actually want to rule: Prince Charming. Fed up with being laughed out of the theatre for his hammy acting, the prince vows to take back what he believes is his right, his happily-ever-after. He assembles an army of fairytale villains in order to take over the kingdom, imprison the royal family, and expose everyone to his thespian ineptitude.

By the third episode in the Shrek series you might expect it to have become tired, but it hasn't. Thanks to a plot that focuses on the joys of parenthood and the responsibility that brings, the story remains fresh. There are plenty of jokes aimed squarely at an adult audience. The combination of comedy that appeals to adults and slapstick fantasy that children will enjoy make this a movie with something for all the family. It's funny, cheerful, and full of colourful new characters as well as familiar old ones, and in all it's a real crowd-pleaser.