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SHREK THE THIRD 3 Stars - Wholesome The third tale of the ogre Shrek (voice by Mike Myers) continues
the
wholesome
moral
message
that
we
should
each
one
be
true
to
who
we
really
are.
However
in
this
third
tale,
the
emphasis
is
not
only
on
accepting
ourselves
but
also
rejecting
the
villainous
labels
and
roles
that
others
place
upon
us.
Thus the villains of fairytale fame decide to
be
good
and
protect
life
rather
than
choosing
to
be
evil
and
causing
death. This is seen directly when the infamous Captain
Hook
(voice
by
Ian
McShane)
explains
that
his
true
self
raises
daffodils
rather
than
destroys
lost
princes. Created by the amazing artists and technicians
at
DreamWorks,
this
third
chapter
of
the
story
continues
with
their
ingenious
blend
of
humor
for
adults
and
lessons
for
children. This third film assumes that you’ve
seen
the
previous
two.
Unlike
Spider-Man
3
which
gives
a
visual
reminder
of
the
tale
by
introducing
images
of
the
first
two
films,
DreamWorks
simply
turns
the
page
to
the
third
chapter
and
assumes
you’ve
been
reading
with
them.
For
example,
as
you
now
see
fire-breathing
flying
donkeys,
you
would
need
to
know
that
in
the
first
film,
the
Donkey
(voice
by
Eddie
Murphy)
was
the
lover
of
the
dragon
that
was
guarding
Princess
Fiona
(Cameron
Diaz). You also need to know that King Harold (voice
by
John
Cleese)
was
actually
a
frog
who
Queen
Lillian
(Julie
Andrews)
kissed
to
bring
into
human
form. This explains how the beautiful queen is now
grieving
over
him
as
he
has
now
returned
to
his
amphibian
form
in
his
sick
and
dying
state.
You
also
need
to
know
that
Prince
Charming
(voice
by
Rupert
Everett)
is
not
the
hero
of
Cinderella
(voice
by
Amy
Sedaris)
fame,
but
he
is
the
son
of
a
deranged
Fairy
God-mother
whose
sole
purpose
was
to
make
him
King
of
“Far,
Far
Away.” And you must also know that Shrek and Princess
Fiona
chose
their
love
for
one
another
rather
than
the
lure
of
wealth,
beauty
and
power. The three amigos of earlier fame are
still
central
to
the
tale.
On
one
side
of
Shrek
is
Donkey’s
unswerving
loyalty
and
on
the
other
side
is
the
feline
swordsman
Puss
in
Boots
(Antonio
Banderas),
whose
courage
and
charm
serve
him
well.
New
to
the
story
is
another
heir
to
the
throne
whose
name
is
Arthur
(voice
by
Justin
Timberlake)
and
“Artie’s”
struggle
with
Lancelot
(voice
by
John
Kransinski) in their medieval high school provides identifiable
angst
and
universal
humor. Though we won’t spoil this third chapter
by
giving
away
the
plot,
the
moral
lessons
are
easily
identifiable:
There
is
good
in
the
worst
of
us
and
bad
in
the
best
of
us.
There
is
hope
for
a
kingdom
where
the
leadership
calls
us
to
be
our
best
selves
rather
than
our
vengeful
worst.
The
struggle
over
power
is
as
much
a
struggle
for
recognition
and
esteem
as
it
is
for
self-aggrandizement
and
control.
And
the
choices
we
make
at
every
point
in
our
individual
and
shared
journeys
not
only
impact
us
but
those
who
love
and
care
for
us
as
well. These lessons make the ongoing saga of SHREK
a
tale
to
enjoy.
Discussion:
1.
The aversion that Shrek has to being King
of
Far,
Far
Away
is
based
on
his
pleasure
of
the
lower
rather
than
the
higher
things
in
life.
Do
you
identify
with
Shrek
or
not?
What
has
this
meant
for
how
you’ve
lived
your
life?
2.
The
nightmare
that
Shrek
has
about
becoming
a
father
is
similar
to
his
fear
about
being
King.
It
is
when
he
meets
Arthur
and
reaches
out
to
him
in
his
fears
that
Shrek
is
given
a
handle
on
his
own.
How
do
you
deal
with
your
fears
about
your
relationships
and
your
fears
about
your
work?
Where
do
you
turn
for
help? What or who has helped you get a grip on your
inner
life?
3.
The
betrayal
of
Rapunzel
(Maya
Rudolph)
demonstrates
the
ability
of
good
people
to
make
bad
choices.
Why
do
you
believe
she
did
so
in
this
tale? Have you ever betrayed someone? Why did you do so and how did you repair the
damage
you
caused?
4.
The
ability
of
Arthur
to
pull
the
best
out
of
his
people
demonstrates
true
moral
and
political
leadership.
Do
you
see
such
leadership
in
the
world
today?
________________ Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual
movie
commentary.
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