Shrek the Third:
Prickly, Swamp-Loving Ogre
Makes a Comeback

By Nicky Vanvalkenburgh

Have you ever been disappointed by a movie sequel? Most of us have. We’ve walked into a theater with high expectations, only to discover a lame movie that’s nothing but a waste of time. Fortunately, this isn’t the case with Shrek the Third. The filmmakers pulled off the near impossible and created a sequel that’s bigger and better than the previous Shrek movies.

Picking up where the last movie left off, Shrek the green ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) is happily married to Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz.) They dream of settling down at the swamp, but a twist of fate will have Shrek and Fiona spending the rest of their lives in Far, Far Away, ruling as King and Queen of the kingdom. Fiona’s father has turned into a frog, and if he “croaks” then Shrek and Fiona must assume the throne.

Determined not to be “royally screwed,” Shrek finds Fiona’s cousin, Artie Pendragon (Justin Timberlake) who is the next royal heir. Helping Shrek are Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas.)

Shrek and his friends manage to find Artie, but he turns out to be a 16-year-old high schooler who scoffs at anything that hints at responsibility.

To make matters worse, Fiona discovers she is pregnant. With Shrek out of town, Prince Charming tries to re-capture the kingdom, and win back Fiona’s heart. In a final showdown, Prince Charming enlists the help of the fairytale villains while Fiona recruits the ugly stepsisters, Doris and Mabel (Larry King and Regis Philbin) to do her bidding.

Shrek The 3rd is an exciting and enchanting film that catapults you in a fairytale world of parody. You’ll love the spectacularly animated and witty characters, hilarious dialogue and one-liners that will have you laughing yourself silly.

Moviegoers will marvel at the ever-changing array of backgrounds, scenery, bright colors, and tiny details coming alive in unexpected and delightful ways. Nearly every fairy tale creature you can think of makes a cameo appearence, including Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, Gingerbread Man, Three Blind Mice, Three Little Pigs, Merlin the Magician, and a fire-breathing dragon.

Antonio Banderas: 
Cat’s Meow as Puss-in-Boots
 
I recently spoke with Antonio Banderas over the phone. Doing the voice of Puss in Boots gave Antonio a chance to poke fun at himself.  His character has the strength, bravery, and romanticism of Zorro, but in the body of a sweet little kittycat. Ever the Don Juan, Puss-in-Boots often gives Shrek the bachelor’s point of view.

“Ever since this cat came into my life, people ask me about him,” admits Banderas. He went on to say that he is jealous of the attention that Puss-in-Boots gets. “Women used to tell me that they loved me in Zorro. Now, they tell me they love the cat,” he sighs.

When asked about how the voiceovers for Shrek, Banderas explained that the animation and voiceovers are done at the same time. He does the voice-over in a room by himself, without Eddie Murphy or Mike Myers.

”Actually, I’m kind of glad they’re not around when I do my taping. Those guys have done stand-up comedy, and that kind of intimidates me,” says Banderas.

“I have a lot of respect for Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, but they perform in a totally different way than I do as an actor. That’s why I prefer to work by myself.”

Banderas admits that it’s a challenge to creating a character using nothing but his voice. Usually, he is recorded in a sound room, while wearing a headset and microphone, along with the producers and animators. What makes it fun is occasionally improvising and ad libbing.

Banderas is married to actress Melanie Griffith. Together, they have a 11-year-old daughter named Stella del Carmen, whom they nicknamed Stella.

When it comes to being a father, Banderas admits to being a softie. “Melanie is much more of a disciplinarian that I am,” he said.

As our conversation came to an end, Bandera reminded me that Shrek the 3rd opens in theatres on May 18.  Shrek the 3rd is a magical film not to be missed on the big screen, by anyone.

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