I wanted nothing more than to love this movie, to run from the theatre screaming like a raving lunatic about its greatness, to the point where even my friends would consider committing me to some institution or another...to shut me up. It's quite possible that I should have been the worst possible person whose opinion you should believe regarding this one, as my unending love and affection for the first two might have blinded me to any shortcomings the Third may have. Had this sequel second been released soon after the second, I suppose that theory might have been true, but a long three years has passed, and in truth I was open to any possibility at this point. So it's with great sadness I must report my ultimate disappointment with Shrek The Third.

Don't you think it's funny how there are some people (mostly critics) that let a film's success determine how favorably or unfavorably affect their experiences. Critics loved the first Shrek, going so far as to award it the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. By the time the sequel rolled around, a bit of that shine had lost its luster with the review crew, with most giving the sequel slightly less raves. Whether or not these generally positive reviews had effect on the box-office is debatable, but there's no debating the franchise's successes. Both Shrek movies have broken box-office records, with the second in particular killing off all competitors and becoming one of the highest grossing movies of all time. Maybe the series that these very critics once championed doesn't need the help this time around, that the unexpected hit that lampooned the dregs of cinema is now firmly part of the establishment. For the most part, they'd be correct.

Now don't get me wrong, there's much ogre-love still here and I did have a good time plopped in my theater chair. One thing the Third really does well is character-driven humor, and it's here the movie really shines...as it should! Although it's not handled as deftly as could be, it's always great fun watching Shrek play the anti-hero. When watching his father-in-law croak (literally), he's less concerned with wife Fiona's feelings than he is trying to get out of ruling the Kingdom of Far, Far Away. Or when Gingerbread Man has a near-death experience, seeing his pasty life flash before his eyes.

Beneath all the CG glitz and shimmer, these characters really do have heart, and that's something not even mediocre writing and bad direction can take away from them. When on target, these films really do pay proper respect to the legends of the genre, and by legends I'm referring to pop-culture skewering icons such as the Looney Tunes, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and even The Simpsons. But when the message gets cloudy, there's hardly much to distinguish Shrek from the thousands of second-rate toons the original begat, which is the most egregious tragedy of all.

Another element sadly missed is the film's soundtrack, which quite frankly just isn't very good. Whatever happened to the lush, orchestral compositions by Henry Gregson-Williams (who has more than one tie to videogame and animated glory)? His work here is rather flat and uninspired, almost as if the well went bone dry. But it's in the song selections, a feat so magnificently perfected in the other films, that disappoints the most. When your soundtrack includes Led Zeppelin, Wings, The Ramones, and not one but TWO songs from the Eels you'd expect something more exciting. There's nothing here that hits the mark like a "Hallelujah" (regardless who's singing), although a rather funky closing take on Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (For Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again)" is more than welcome...especially when it's Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy kicking it.

But the performances this time around really do seem dialed in, almost as if everyone is just a bit too comfortable to really reach for the stars. None of the new additions help matters much, and it's in this fashion the movie hits the very same snags that other summer blockbuster, Spiderman 3, does. There's simply too much going on, too many characters to keep track of, there's no real focus anymore. Part of the first two films magic was the wonderful character interactions between the cast, which miraculously survived every attempt at stereotyping. In the Third movie, everything is much more paint-by-numbers Shrek, with the original cast in particular coming off particularly lazy. Puss in Boots, again voiced by Antonio Bandares, still steals the show but is horribly under-used. Can't say that I was too impressed with Justin Timerlake as Artie, but Eric Idle did quite well as the befuddled, neurotic Merlin the Magician. I know there are more big-name stars at work here, but to be quite honest none of them distinguished themselves much, and I can't say I was particularly impressed. Although I was surprised to learn that was indeed Regis Philbin as Mabel, the Uglier Stepsister to Larry King's Doris. Genius casting.

Even with all the inanity and craziness of self-conscious characters skewering traditional conventions, the very real genius of the first two films was the striking balance between satire and empathy. That even with the absurdity and foolishness of it all, these characters still had to live in this world. The Third nearly abandons the former, presumably in favor of the latter, and this change nearly topples that delicate balance. Despite the pleasures of seeing our old friends back in action, I couldn't help but feel that the film lacked a central emotional core, puttering when it should be zooming. What's worse is the very real concern that Shrek has become the very thing it first railed against - conventional.

So in essence, while I liked Shrek The Third, I didn't love it. Color me disappointed, yes, but don't take my disappointment as a rallying cry against the movie. I still laughed my tuckus off, at times to the point my eyes were watering. This is still a very, very funny movie that contains a few choice moments of real brilliance in both set-up and implementation. But the emotional resonance which served to balance the zaniness of the first two is largely missing, replaced with saccharine schmaltz that weighs down any chances of momentum the film had at matching its predecessors. But even a series of missteps can't bring a good Ogre down, and this fantasy world is likely to continue for at least a few more films.