| Shrek the Third | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Chris Miller |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Andrew Adamson |
| Based on | Shrek! byWilliam Steig |
| Produced by | Aron Warner |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Michael Andrews |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures[2] Universal Pictures (4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2023) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $160 million[3] |
| Box office | $808.3 million[3] |
Shrek the Third (also known asShrek 3) is a 2007 American animatedfantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture bookShrek! byWilliam Steig. Directed byChris Miller and co-directed byRaman Hui from a screenplay byJeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Miller, and producerAron Warner, and a story conceived byAndrew Adamson, co-director of the previous two installments, it is the sequel toShrek 2 (2004) and the third installment in theShrek film series. The film featuresMike Myers,Eddie Murphy,Cameron Diaz,Antonio Banderas,Rupert Everett,Julie Andrews, andJohn Cleese reprising their voice roles from the previous films, along with new additionsJustin Timberlake asArthur Pendragon andEric Idle asMerlin. In the film, Prince Charming is plotting to overthrow Shrek and Fiona, who have inherited the throne following King Harold's death. Shrek has no interest in ruling the kingdom and attempts to convince Fiona's underachieving 16-year-old cousin Artie to reign instead.
Shrek the Third premiered at theMann Village Theatre, Westwood in Los Angeles on May 6, 2007,[4] and was theatrically released in the United States byParamount Pictures on May 18, 2007. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing $808.3 million worldwide on a budget of $160 million, becoming thefourth-highest-grossing film of 2007. It was nominated for theBest Animated Film at the61st British Academy Film Awards. A sequel,Shrek Forever After, was released on May 21, 2010.
Shrek andPrincess Fiona are to succeedKing Harold, but Shrek's attempts to serve as the Regent during Harold's medical absence end in disaster, because he is not interested in being king of Far, Far Away. With his dying breath, Harold tells Shrek of another heir: his nephew and Fiona's cousin,Arthur "Artie" Pendragon. Meanwhile,Prince Charming, vowing to avenge the death of his mother, theFairy Godmother, and become king, goes to the Poison Apple tavern and persuades the fairy tale villains to fight for their "happily ever after", and help him take over Far Far Away.
Shrek sets out to retrieve Artie, with help from his two best friends,Donkey, andPuss in Boots. As they sail away, Fiona reveals to Shrek that she is pregnant, much to Shrek's horror, because he believes he is incapable of raising children. The trio journey to Worcestershire Academy, an elite magical boarding school, where they discover that Artie is actually a scrawny, 16-year-old outcast. At the school pep rally, Shrek tells Artie he has been chosen to be king of Far, Far Away. Artie is excited until Donkey and Puss inadvertently frighten him by discussing the king's responsibilities. Losing confidence, Artie tries to take control of the ship and steer it back to Worcestershire. Following a scuffle with Shrek, the ship crashes on a remote island where they encounter Artie's retired magic teacher,Merlin, who convinces the two to open up to each other.
Meanwhile, Fiona andQueen Lillian host a baby shower with a group of princesses when Charming and the villains attack the castle, butGingy,Pinocchio, theBig Bad Wolf, and theThree Little Pigs stall Charming's group long enough for the ladies to escape. When one of the pigs accidentally reveals that Shrek has gone to retrieve Artie, Charming sends Captain Hook and his pirates to track them down. Meanwhile,Rapunzel, having fallen in love with Charming, betrays Fiona, and the ladies are locked in the castle dungeons.
Captain Hook and his pirates catch up to Shrek on Merlin's island, where Shrek avoids capture, and Hook reveals Charming's takeover of Far, Far Away. Shrek urges Artie to return to Worcestershire, but Artie tricks Merlin into using his magic to send them to Far Far Away, and while the spell works, it accidentally causes Puss and Donkey to switch bodies. They find Pinocchio and learn that Charming plans to kill Shrek as part of a play, but they are caught and taken captive after breaking into the castle.
Charming prepares to kill Artie to retain the crown, but Shrek saves his life by admitting that he was just using Artie to replace him as the next king. Charming allows a disheartened Artie to leave. Donkey and Puss are imprisoned with Fiona, Lillian and the other princesses, where Fiona grows frustrated with their lack of initiative, but Lillian frees them all by smashing an opening in the stone wall of the prison with a headbutt. While the princesses launch a rescue mission for Shrek, Donkey and Puss free Gingy, Pinocchio, and the others along withDragon and Donkey's children, and then convince a leaving Artie that Shrek lied to save his life.
Charming stages a showdown in a musical theater in front of the kingdom, and just as he is about to kill Shrek, Fiona, Puss, Donkey, the princesses and other fairy tale characters confront the villains, but they are quickly subdued. However, Artie shows up and gives a speech to the villains, convincing them that they can be accepted into society instead of being outcasts. Inspired by Artie's speech, the villains agree to give up their evil ways, while Charming refuses to listen and lunges at Artie with his sword. Shrek blocks the blow, and it appears that he has been stabbed. However, as Charming decrees himself the new king, Shrek reveals that Charming misaimed his sword and pushes him aside, while Dragon knocks the stage tower down onto Charming, killing him.
With Charming defeated, Artie is crowned the new king of Far, Far Away. While the kingdom celebrates, Merlin appears and reverts Puss and Donkey's body swap. Later, back at the swamp, Shrek and Fiona begin raising their new triplets, coping with parenthood with help from Donkey, Puss, Lillian, and Dragon.
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After the success ofShrek 2 in May 2004,DreamWorks Animation (DWA) CEOJeffrey Katzenberg planned a five-film arc that began withShrek (2001) and would conclude witha fifth installment.[5] DreamWorks hired screenwritersJeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (ofWho Framed Roger Rabbit,Doc Hollywood andHow the Grinch Stole Christmas fame) to write the screenplay of the film and Jon Zack, who wroteThe Perfect Score, came on board as a consultant.[6] Unlike the first two films, the film was not directed byAndrew Adamson due to his occupation withThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[7] Adamson was still involved as an executive producer, and was giving advice approximately every four months on the state of the film.[8]Shrek the Third was instead directed byChris Miller, a story artist on the first film and a head of story on the second, and co-directed byRaman Hui, a supervising animator on the first two films, with Miller and producerAron Warner also writing the script with Price and Seaman.[8]
The film was developed under theworking title ofShrek 3. By March 2006, the title of the film was changed toShrek the Third.[9] According to Miller, the reason behind the title change was because they "didn't want to just sort of title it like it was just asequel," instead they wanted "something to make it stand on its own, give it its own personality and really try to treat it as a chapter in Shrek's life." Hui also remarked: "It's about Shrek becoming the new king of Far Far Away; the title sounds kind of royal as well."[8]
The film was originally going to be released in November 2006; however, in December 2004, the date was changed to May 2007; "The sheer magnitude of theShrek franchise has led us to conclude that a May release date, with a DVD release around the holiday season, will enable us to best maximize performance and increase profitability, thereby generating enhanced asset value and better returns for our shareholders." Katzenberg explained.[10]Flushed Away, another film from DreamWorks Animation, was instead given the slot of November 2006.[10] The release date change was also the day afterDisney/Pixar changed the release date ofCars, from November 4, 2005 to June 9, 2006.[11][10]
Shrek the Third opened in 4,122 North American cinemas on May 18, 2007, grossing $38 million on its first day, which was the biggest opening day for an animated film at the time. It grossed a total of $121.6 million in its first weekend, the best opening weekend ever for an animated film, and the second-highest opening for a film in the United States in 2007, behindSpider-Man 3.[12] It held the animated opening weekend record for nine years until it was surpassed byFinding Dory's $135.1 million debut in 2016.[13] At the time, its opening weekend was the third-highest of all time in these regions.[14]
Shrek the Third grossed $322.7 million in the United States, and $485.6 million overseas, bringing its cumulative total to $808.3 million.[3] The film was the fourth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 2007, and the second-highest-grossing film in the United States that year. In addition, it was the highest-grossing animated film of 2007, and the third-highest-grossing animated film ever, trailing only behindFinding Nemo andShrek 2.[15] The film sold an estimated 46,907,000 tickets in North America.[16]
The film was released in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2007, and topped the country's box office for the next two weekends, before being dethroned byHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.[17]
Shrek the Third received mixed reviews.[18][19][20] OnRotten Tomatoes,Shrek the Third has an approval rating of 41% based on 210 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10, making it the lowest-rated film in theShrek franchise by the website to date. The site's critical consensus reads, "Shrek the Third has pop culture potshots galore, but at the expense of the heart, charm, and wit that made the first twoShreks classics."[21] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[22] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, a step down from the first two films' "A".[23]
Some critics were confused as to the film's target demographic. Carina Chocano of theLos Angeles Times felt themes about career and parenting anxieties, the lifestyle of celebrities, as well as its humor, would be above children: "Does a kids' movie really need, among other similar touches, a Hooters joke? I, for one, wouldn't want to have to explain it." Nonetheless, she also found certain moments to be funny: "Shrek's anxiety dream about procreating is fabulously surreal, and King Harold's deathbed scene, with its grimaces and false alarms, is pure kiddie comedy at its best."[24] David Ansen ofNewsweek wrote that the film's "slightly snarky wit is aimed almost entirely at parents... this one never touched my heart or got under my skin. It's a movie at war with itself: a kiddie movie that doesn't really want to be one."[25]
Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, saying the film "wasn't awful, but it's bland, with a barrel-scraping averageness. There are no new ideas, no very funny new characters..." He called the character Merlin a "frankly unfunny new character" and considered the character to be a "rip-off ofAlbus Dumbledore from theHarry Potter franchise". He stated that the film contained "no decent musical numbers, incidentally, and the one cover version is bizarrely chosen. For Harold's funeral, we get a rendering of ...Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die". Er ... huh? Because it's kind of sad and it has "die" in the title?"[26]
The Times of London rated it 2 out of 5.[27]
A. O. Scott fromThe New York Times described the film as "at once more energetic and more relaxed [than its predecessors], less desperate to prove its cleverness and therefore to some extent, smarter."[28]
| Awards | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Awards[29] | Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Chris Miller, Raman Hui | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards[30] | Best Animated Film | Chris Miller | |
| Golden Reel Award[31] | Best Sound Editing in Feature Film: Animated | ||
| Kids Choice Awards[32][33] | Favorite Animated Movie | ||
| Favorite Voice From an Animated Movie | Cameron Diaz | ||
| Eddie Murphy | Won | ||
| Mike Myers | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Awards[34] | Favorite Family Movie | Won | |
| VES Awards[35] | Outstanding Effects in an Animated Motion Picture | Matt Baer, Greg Hart, Krzysztof Rost, Anthony Field | Nominated |
| Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture | John Cleese, Guillaume Aretos, Tim Cheung, Sean Mahoney |
The film was released on bothDVD andHD DVD on November 13, 2007.[36][37] The DVD was released in separatepan and scan andwidescreen formats.[38] The film and special features on the HD DVD version were presented in1.78:1 widescreen high-definition1080p and feature aDolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio soundtrack,[39] and special features for both formats include several deleted scenes, features, trailers, commentary, music videos,[36][37] and exclusively on the HD DVD version, some web-enabled andHDi Interactive Format features such as a special trivia track, a film guide, and an interactive coloring book which can be downloaded as of street date.[40]
Following Paramount's decision to discontinue HD DVD production (makingShrek the Third the only DreamWorks Animation film to be released on that format), the film was subsequently released onBlu-ray Disc on September 16, 2008.[41] It was re-released on Blu-ray as part of theShrek: The Whole Story boxset on December 7, 2010[42] before receiving another separate release on August 30, 2011,[43] and on Blu-ray 3D on November 1, 2011 as aBest Buy exclusive.[44]Shrek the Third was released onUltra HD Blu-ray on September 12, 2023, byUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment.[45]
DVD and Blu-ray sales gathered revenue of $179.1 million.[46]
Shrek the Third was widely anticipated and DreamWorks backed the film with a large marketing campaign, with toys, books, games, clothes, and many other items becoming available throughout 2007.A video game based on the film was released for theWii,PlayStation 2,Xbox 360,Game Boy Advance,PlayStation Portable,PC, andNintendo DS.
In May 2007,Shrek the Third was made into a mobilevideo game, developed byGameloft.[47] Shrek n' Roll, an action puzzle game based on the film, was released for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade on November 14, 2007.A pinball machine based on the film has also been produced byStern Pinball.[48]
Adult Swim comedy teamTim and Eric, annoyed by the amount of advertisement they had witnessed in the months approaching the release of the film, decided to independently "promote"[49]Shrek the Third in a series of internet videos[50]as well as appearances on television and radio to encourage people to see the film.[citation needed]
In the beginning of the film, in Prince Charming's dinner theater, coconuts are revealed to be the source of the sound effect for horses' hoof beats. This same joke was used inMonty Python and the Holy Grail, which also starredJohn Cleese andEric Idle. Idle walked out of the premiere (though later reentered after calming himself down) and claimed to be considering suing the producers ofShrek for the unauthorized use of this gag, while the producers claim they were honoring Idle and Cleese by putting the part in.[51]
The film was followed by a sequel,Shrek Forever After, which was released in theaters on May 21, 2010,[52] and will be followed byShrek 5, which is in development and set for June 30, 2027.[53]
The third instalment of the successful Shrek movie series has received mixed reviews from critics in the US.
Critics gave mixed reviews to Shrek the Third
people of all ages flocked to "Shrek the Third" despite mixed reviews
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