The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

The story is familiar: a disgruntled Shrek (Myers) finds himself hovering on the brink of a midlife crisis, loathing quiet
family life and yearning for his youth when he was a carefree and much-feared
ogre. This latest adventure has him returning to the castle where he once rescued princess Fiona (Diaz), and again has to win her heart with a
kiss.

Gone is the wit that carried the first two
Shrek films. The characters seem to have lost their charm
and are reduced to shadows of their former spunky selves. It’s still
entertaining, and the animation has never looked so rich, but the
fairytale allure has faded.

After an introductory montage of changing baby diapers, Shrek
encounters a magician who goes by the name of Rumpelstiltskin. This latest
fairy-tale caricature makes our hero an offer
he cant refuse: an uninterrupted day of peace and quiet to allow him to be the
grumpy, fearsome ogre he once was. No family. No crying babies. No unwanted
visits from obnoxious acquaintances. Savvy Shrek immediately asks
about the catch; which is a day from Shrek’s own childhood in exchange for his one day of freedom. Seems harmless enough, but little did Shrek know that
Rumpelstiltskin plans to use that day to erase Shrek’s very existence…unless of
course he can find a way to annul the magical contract before all
is lost.

For the remainder of the film Shrek finds himself caught in a CGI
version of It’s a Wonderful Life. Fiona is now the leader of an ogre resistance army,
Puss the cat (Banderas) is so
fat he looks like Garfield, and Donkey (Murphy)…well at least some things
never change.

To make a long story short, Shrek learns a valuable lesson and regrets taking for
granted his loving family.

Except for one scene where Shrek gets chased by a pack of evil witches,
the picture’s 3D component doesn’t add much to the viewing experience. The only truly
evolved element of the film is Myers’ ogre voice performance; which is a more heartfelt, emotionally rich
take on the giant green character.

If you’re a
fan of the ogre with a heart of a gold, then you will most likely show up for
his farewell. Otherwise, the latest Shrek
doesn’t offer enough to warrant a visit to the multiplex. Sure it’s funny, but
this one has been done before, and with better results.