Movie · 2007 · Fantasy, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 33m · PG · English
Curator score: 1.6/10 (1.2M ratings)
He's in for the royal treatment.
Overview
The King of Far Far Away has died and Shrek and Fiona are to become King & Queen. However, Shrek wants to return to his cozy swamp and live in peace and quiet, so when he finds out there is another heir to the throne, they set off to bring him back to rule the kingdom.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.6/10
IMDb: 6.1/10
Letterboxd: 2.95/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 41%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 6.3/10
Director
Chris Miller
Production
DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images
Cast
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Eric Idle, Justin Timberlake, Susanne Blakeslee, Cody Cameron, Larry King, Christopher Knights, John Krasinski, Ian McShane, Cheri Oteri, Regis Philbin, Amy Poehler, Megan Hilty, Seth Rogen
Where to watch
Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A noisy, uneven sequel that keeps the franchise’s fairytale parody energy but with less inspiration than the first two films. It has a few sharp comic bits, a likable ensemble, and enough momentum for families or completists, but the story feels thinner and the jokes land less consistently.
Best for
Shrek franchise completists
families looking for broad animated comedy
viewers who enjoy pop-culture fairytale spoofing
fans of ensemble buddy-comedy banter
Skip if
you want the strongest or most inventive Shrek film
you dislike sequels that feel more routine than fresh
you prefer tightly written animation over scattershot comedy
you are mainly interested in the series’ emotional depth
Overview
Shrek the Third is the kind of sequel that survives on goodwill, timing, and a few inspired gags. It still has the franchise’s basic appeal: fairytale characters treated like exhausted sitcom regulars, a fast pace, and a willingness to undercut royal fantasy with modern attitude. When it clicks, it’s funny in a very broad, very accessible way.
Worth noting
But the movie also feels like it’s stretching a premise that was already fully mined. The plot is serviceable rather than memorable, and the comedy is more hit-or-miss than in the earlier entries. Some supporting bits are genuinely amusing, yet the film often settles for repetition instead of escalation.
Bottom line
For kids or fans who just want more time in Far Far Away, it goes down easy enough. For everyone else, it’s a middle-tier franchise chapter: watchable, occasionally clever, but not essential.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Julia (3★) · 3849 likes
Snow White singing the immigrant song invented feminism
James (Schaffrillas) (1★) · 2780 likes
I didn't actually rewatch it. I just wanted to hop on and remind everyone that this movie doesn't exist. Viva la Shrek 4
Bradley J. Dixon (0.5★) · 2714 likes
More like Shrek the turd
𝖏𝖊𝖉 (3.5★) · 2523 likes
sleeping beauty burning her bra is the height of modern cinema
doinkdedoink (5★) · 2509 likes
prince charming: you! you can't lie! so tell me puppet... where... is... shrek?
pinocchio: uh. hmm, well, uh, I don't know where he's not
charming: you're telling me you don't know where shrek is?
pinocchio: it wouldn't be inaccurate to assume that I couldn't exactly not say that it is or isn't almost partially incorrect.
charming: so you do know where he is!
pinocchio: on the contrary. I'm possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no… more prince charming: you! you can't lie! so tell me puppet... where... is... shrek?
pinocchio: uh. hmm, well, uh, I don't know where he's not
charming: you're telling me you don't know where shrek is?
pinocchio: it wouldn't be inaccurate to assume that I couldn't exactly not say that it is or isn't almost partially incorrect.
charming: so you do know where he is!
pinocchio: on the contrary. I'm possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no… more