Hollywood's summer bout of three-quelitis has so far thrown up the disappointing Spider-Man 3 and the noggin-numbing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Unfortunately, Shrek the Third doesn't look like it's going to do anything to buck that trend.
The critics generally reckon this is Shrek-by-numbers stuff, lacking the wit, inventiveness and most important the songs, of the first two films.
"Shrek the Third, like so many Hollywood animation movies today, neither trusts itself nor cares to create any new magic," writes Sukhdev Sandhu in the Telegraph. "If it were a child in a classroom, it would be the back-row smart arse, rather than the poetic dreamer."
Derek Adams in Time Out is similarly dismissive. "A shame it lacks the smart sassiness of its predecessors. Time to call time, we think."
Meanwhile, our own Peter Bradshaw reckons "Shrek the Third isn't awful, but it's bland, with a barrel-scraping averageness. There are no new ideas, no very funny new characters."
But in the States a quick scan of the top sites suggests the movie is getting a slightly better critical reception. "After a buoyantly funny first half-hour, this stylish animated comedy takes a breather before ramping it up again for a rambunctious, girrrl-power finale that provides a convenient springboard for further adventures to come," writes Variety's Todd McCarthy.
Did you see the film over the weekend? What did you think? Let us know by posting your comments below.
And if you want a flavour of the film without sitting through it, go to our gallery.
