'SHREK'S' PREVIOUS CLEVERNESS TAKES A PREGNANT PAUSE.

Byline: Glenn Whipp

Film Critic

The death knell for any long-running series usually comes when a woman (almost always nervous and fretful) utters (after many "comic" misunderstandings) two fateful words to her husband: I'm pregnant.

And holy Pebbles and Bamm Bamm, "Shrek the Third" boasts a veritable newborn ward, what with the spawn of Donkey and Dragon flying all over the place and Fiona finding herself in a family way. Manufacturers of plush toys must have popped the bubbly when they heard the news.

The babies aren't the undoing of the "Shrek" franchise, but they are a sign that the filmmakers have run out of ideas. The new entry doesn't have much of a story and, even worse, isn't all that funny, unless you find poorly staged deathbed scenes in a family movie to be a barrel of laughs.

Dying a thousand deaths

Having Frog King Harold (John Cleese) croak could be funny, but it's a symptom of this movie's poorly calibrated comic tone that the would-be edgy set piece falls flat. A subsequent somber funeral scene set to Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" is another bad idea because it asks us to mourn a character we never knew or really liked. Leave the circle-of-life stuff to the other guys.

Now that the king is gone, Shrek (Mike Myers) stands to inherit the throne. But he just wants to get back to his smelly swamp, so he, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) go looking for the other heir, Fiona's geeky cousin Arthur (Justin Timberlake), or "Artie" as he's known to his tormenting classmates.

While they're away, the vain Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) seizes control of Far Far Away. Fiona (Cameron Diaz) recruits a gaggle of girl-power princesses to save the day.

The movie has its share of strong ideas. Charming rounding up a gang of fairy-tale characters (Capt. Hook, the Evil Queen, the Big Bad Wolf) to go after their long-denied happily-ever-after is a fine notion, but only superficially explored. Incorporating Arthur, Lancelot and Merlin into the "Shrek" universe likewise never lives up to potential, settling for tired jokes rather than actual character development.

Director Chris Miller, who co-wrote the movie with three other credited writers, mostly plays it safe, which means plenty of references to pop culture (though the cleverness is down a notch), incorporating another mopey third-act ballad (this time it's Damien Rice) to signal sadness and an overriding lesson of self-acceptance.

Invention has given way to formula -- and babies. "Shrek" has jumped the shark.

More in store

But don't think our flatulent green friend is going anywhere. There's a "Shrek the Halls" holiday TV special due in December, a Broadway musical slated for 2008 and a fourth movie scheduled for 2010. At this rate, expect a "Shrek vs. Predator" somewhere around the time the ogre's kids are college-bound. I'm sure my grandchildren will be first in line.

Glenn Whipp, [phone]

[e-mail]

SHREK THE THIRD - Two and one half stars

(PG: crude humor, suggestive content, swashbuckling action)

Starring: Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz.

Director: Chris Miller.

Running time: 1 hr. 32 min.

Playing: Select showings at 10 tonight. Opens citywide Friday.

In a nutshell: Invention has given way to formula -- and babies. "Shrek" has jumped the shark.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Donkey and Shrek are up to the same old tricks in "Shrek the Third," but with more babies. Sadly, it's neither as entertaining nor as clever as the first two.