It will take some honest communication and teamwork, the quick growing up of a kid, and the clever work of some princesses who haven’t had to fight before—in order for Shrek and his team to spoil Charming’s plans and get the right man, or kid, on the throne.

This third time around, Shrek  is very funny, grand in animation and casting and generally well written. There are many good “laugh out loud” moments in the film, especially at the medieval high school, whose kids sound an awful lot like America’s teens (“Just say nay” to drugs).  Many extra touches were added to each scene to give them that extra boost of humor and entertainment.

Regrettably, sometimes Hollywood pushes that envelope a bit too far, though they’re subtle about it.  For instance, one of the “princesses” is a big, ugly “girl” with a deep, man-sounding voice, who says, “That (Prince) Charming makes me hotter than July.”  And there are guys who are effeminate as well.  There are also plenty of depictions of vomiting, burping, passing gas, scratching rears, etc. And there’s a needless portrayal of alcohol.  Prince Charming goes to a bar to recruit his bad guys and orders a round of fuzzy navels for all (an alcoholic drink made with Peach Schnapps). 

As usual, there’s plenty of magic and New Age verbiage, and this time it’s supplied by Merlin (Eric Idle), an aging wizard with dementia, who calls out things like, “Cosmic children of the universe!” and has people look into the smoke to see pictures that will give them clues about their souls.

The movie does address the common problem of children and the “father issues” they have when they’re abandoned or overlooked.  Many movies are addressing this issue now, even recent animations like Curious George and Chicken Little.  It’s just that Hollywood usually gives incomplete answers for such dilemmas.  In this case, the theme is “The thing that matters most is what you think of yourself.”  Well yes, but it takes some dealing and healing with God to get there.
 
Overall, this skillfully made, high budget animation will very likely clean up at the box office as it entertains the masses this summer.  Enjoy the laughs, but always, always talk to your kids about the worldview elements and how they stack up to Scripture.

CAUTIONS:

• Drugs/Alcohol:  Fuzzy Navels distributed in bar.
• Language:  Mild issues of off-color, or scatological verbiage, with a few innuendos going over kids’ heads.
• Sex:  None.
• Violence:  Mild, cartoonish, slapstick violence.