Shrek the ThirdMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Shrek the Third."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 58 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
6 OK for kids 6+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 80
    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. Read full review

  • 80
    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. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

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

  • 75
    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. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    I love the princess squad. Read full review

  • 63
    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. Read full review

  • 60
    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. Read full review

  • 50
    Washington Post | Stephen Hunter

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

  • 50
    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. Read full review

  • 50
    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. Read full review

View more reviews for Shrek the Third on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 6+ Cute but not as good as past movies; some cartoon violence.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that, like the previous two Shrek films, this movie includes jokes aimed at adults that will go over the head of most kids. While parents chuckle about Fuzzy Navels and Mojitos (is drinking necessary in a PG film, by the way??), the "Versarchery" logo, and Shrek's hesitance to face fatherhood, their kids will just laugh at the antics of their fairytale friends. There's some cartoon violence (sword-fights, punches), which is often played for laughs. Expect even your youngest kid to want to see this one -- if they watch TV, go with you to the supermarket, or eat at McDonalds, chances are they've seen Shrek in ads for everything from junk food to anti-obesity PSAs (talk about mixed messages!).
  • Families can talk about what made kids want to see this movie -- the story or all the product tie-ins. Do kids want a product because Shrek is pictured on it? Parents can also discuss the movie's girl power issues. Why do the princesses respond to their situation by "assuming the position to be rescued"? How do Fiona and the Queen challenge the ladies to take matters into their own hands? In terms of the film franchise, should the Shrek movies continue, or this is a good one to finish it off? Which of the three movies is the best, and why?
The good stuff
  • message true3 Positive messages: The princesses are selfish and a bit stereotypical at first but eventually prove to be good role models, since they defend themselves rather than waiting to be rescued. Fairytale villains choose to be good. Typical high school relationships (popular kids picking on those who don't fit in, etc.) are played for laughs.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence and scariness: The villains and heroes of fairytale lore engage in face-to-face battle with sticks, swords, fists, and more. Most of the violence is quick and leads to laughs, so kids aren't likely to be scared.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: Shrek and Fiona are affectionate and kiss; they're shown sleeping in the same bed (it's implied that Shrek is naked, but you don't see anything). Two other couples hug, and Puss flirts with various female cats. Puss starts to explain where children come from (a man is "full of urges" for his wife) but is cut off; Doris says Charming makes her "hotter than July."
  • language false0 Language: Basic PG words and insults: "butt," "dork," "loser," "poop," "stupid," "twit," "royally beeped."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Same as before; real labels are parodied for humor. Versace logo is shown as "Versarchery," men flock to "Ye Olde Hooters," etc. Shrek is also the spokes-ogre for a wide variety of real-life products, including candy and fast food -- while simultaneously appearing in anti-obesity ads for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Fuzzy navels are ordered at a bar where characters drink out of steins and glasses. Puss proposes that he and Shrek drink mojitos. Students at Artie's high school tumble out of a smoke-filled carriage talking about frankincense and myrrh in an obvious pot reference.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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