At The Movies: Shrek the Third

When seeing "Shrek the Third" you probably are walking in knowing exactly what you're going to get. If you walk in expecting a cinematic masterpiece you're bound to be let down, but if you're looking for an extra couple hours of what first two offered you'll get exactly what you're looking for. The basic working formula of a great cast, modern twists on old fairy tales, and double meanings galore is carried over and expanded upon in this second sequel. The issue lies simply with if you care enough to see more.

The first "Shrek" film was a surprise to say the least. Filled with charm, wit, and relatable characters it proved to be enjoyable for the entire family. "Shrek" also established DreamWorks as a true competitor to Walt Disney Pictures in the field of animated features. The fact that "Shrek 2" was as much of a success was by no means a fluke. The guys at DreamWorks teamed up with this cast know how to make a fun movie, "Shrek the Third" solidifies their credibility. Rather than just adding more stars to the cast and telling the same jokes again, it's apparent they did their best not to deliver a repetitive script.

Five members from "Saturday Night Live", two from the "Monty Python" cast, Justin Timberlake, and star of "The Office" John Krasinski among others are all worked into a modest ninety-three minutes of film. Even the smallest of parts prove to be most memorable and humorous. As the first "Shrek" this movie is about a journey, so the characters are used in predictable and fun ways throughout Shrek's (Mike Myers) quest. With the recent death of King Harold (John Cleese), Shrek is reluctant to take over his role. Shrek journeys to find the only other remaining heir, Artie (Justin Timberlake), a textbook reject who is eager to take the title.

While departing Shrek is less than enthusiastic to find out he is soon to be a father, which is the source of a lot of humor that might keep an adult audience interested. As soon as Shrek leaves for his journey Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) rounds up the usual fairy tale baddies to take over kingdom of Far Far Away. All of the fairy tale princesses, villains, and sidekick heroes are pulled out of the book of stock characters once again to take their part in the fight over the fate of Far Far Away.

The first two movies are among my favorite animated films, but I couldn't help but feel a third was almost certainly going to kill the charm of the first two. "Shrek the Third" is completely predictable, mildly crude, and completely unnecessary. I had no desire to see this movie going in, yet found myself slowly and reluctantly enjoying it. The same old "Shrek" with a few slight twits worked well this time around, but will it the next? Dreamworks Animation recently revealed forth Shrek is in the works for a 2010 release and a spin-off based on the "Puss in Boots" character played by Antonio Banderas soon after. Work has also gotten arond about a possible fifth Shrek later on. In the meantime, there is plenty of fun to be had with "Shrek the Third."



“Shrek the Third” is rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action.

At The Movies: Spider-Man 3

Since the 1960s Spider-Man has been Marvel's flagship character, simply because he is the most down-to-earth superhero around. As in the comics, Peter Parker/Spider-Man 
(Tobey Maguire) is portrayed as an average guy who just wants to do the right thing, making a few mistakes in the process. “Spider-Man 3” continues to explore the usual struggles of life magnified by the words memorable words of Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), “With great power comes great responsibility."

In “Spider-Man 3” the way those issues and themes are depicted makes the movie more like a daytime soap opera. The previous movies featured only one villain, to make sure due attention was given and the movies wouldn't be cluttered. Deviating from that course turned out to be a huge mistake, and on many levels ruined the experience. Eddie Brock/Venom (Topher Grace), Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and a vengeful Harry Osborn (James Franco) are all fighting for screentime and completely underdeveloped characters. It doesn't help that these are three of the most interesting and popular characters in the Spider-Man universe, with the most complex stories to be told. The material in this film should not have been compressed into a single movie, but rather told properly over a few films or not told at all.

Fans have been begging director Sam Raimi to include Venom in the series since production of the first film began. The character finally gets his literal fifteen minutes of tacked on fame, but we never actually hear the name “Venom” spoken. The only story to the character we receive is a meteor crashing on earth in the beginning of the film with an extra terrestrial goop making its way onto Peter Parker, and later Eddie Brock. It is said that the substance amplifies aggression and brings out the darker qualities of the object it is attached to. This leads to dark scenes of Peter doing things we would have never imagined him doing, and some fun, campy scenes of him indulging in his fame and popularity.

As a whole, the movie feels unfinished and does not fulfill even moderate expectations. For the most part the acting feels more tongue-in-cheek than in the previous films, at times clashing with the dramatic tones of the movie. The best performance is given after the final action scene by Academy Award-nominee Thomas Haden Church, which is truly a shame because there were plenty of great opportunities for the recurring characters to really make something great out of their legacy. The special effects are acceptable, but they definitely could have used some more work. Given how fast everything happens viewers are never really given the opportunity to enjoy the great characters. Often finding yourself bored of what's on screen, you'll probably be wondering what's happening with one of the other storylines.

“Spider-Man 3” is enjoyable if you're a huge fan of the series, but there is little compelling or innovative material to urge you to watch a second time. Riddled with too many plots and villains, it's hard to imagine how a group of people who have worked together on two solid previous films could let the series come to this. Sony Pictures is currently planning three more sequels according to director Sam Raimi, and all of the cast and crew have expressed mixed feelings on returning. Hopefully the next films will take a step back and tell the stories at a proper pace, but at this point it's hard to say if the audience is sick of “Spider-Man.”

There is plenty of fun to be had with this movie, but it's far from the best in the series as the amazing cast is underutilized.