3:10 to Yuma ***1/2Cast: Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Peter Fonda, Ben Foster, Logan Lerman, Gretchen Mol
Director: James Mangold
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Dan Evans (Bale) needs money to save his ranch. Forclosure is on the horizon, and he is short on money. Being a former sharpshooter in the Civil War makes him a good addition to the group escorting outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe) to the train station. There Wade will catch the 3:10 train to Yuma Prison, and a hanging. The journey is full of troubles, not the least of which is the fact that Wade’s gang is in pursuit, led by Charlie Prince (Foster), Prince is Wade’s right hand man, any wants nothing more than to see Wade set free.

This movie is all Crowe and Bale. They give great performances, and are the reason to see “3:10 to Yuma”. Crowe in particular bounces back and forth between charming and nasty, yet creates a character that is likeable in his own way. The supporting case, including Peter Fonda and Ben Foster solidly support the leads as well. Action-wise, there is enough to satisfy and both suspenseful and, at times, violent. The ending is satisfying and feels right, given what has gone before. I highly recommend “3:10 to Yuma”.

Balls of Fury **Cast: Dan Fogler, Christophen Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, James Hong
Director: Ben Garant
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

After being humiliated in ping pong in the 1988 Olympics, Randy Dayton (Fogler) becomes a lounge act in Reno, showing off his skills to uninterested audiences. A government agent (Lopez) recruits Randy to go undercover at a ping pong tournament hosted by believed criminal Feng (Walken). To hone his rusty skills, they enlist the help of Wong (Hong) and his niece Maggie (Q). At the tournament, Daytona finds himself over his head in a contest that is truly sudden death.

“Balls of Fury” is an amusing, but not hilarious film. Fogler, a poor man’s Jack Black, lacks the charisma to me a lead actor. Walken, although funny and odd, does not get enough screen time. Hong is consistently funny in his scenes though, and that helps. In the end, “Balls of Fury” misfires more than not, and ends up being less than it could have been. If you must see it, wait until DVD.

Halloween **1/2Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Tyler Mane, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Scout Taylor-Compton, Danielle Harris
Director: Rob Zombie
Running Length: 1:49
MPAA Classification: R

Michael Myers (Faerch) is a kid destined for trouble. His mom (Zombie) and her boyfriend (Forsythe) are terrible parent figures. Pushed to the brink, he eventually snaps. One Halloween, he dons a mask and attacks a school bully. Then he heads home to kill his family. The only survivors are his mother and infant sister Laurie. Michael is committed to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (McDowell). Loomis eventually realizes he is dealing with pure evil in Michael. Fifteen years later, on Halloween, Michael (Man) escapes from the sanitarium and heads home to Haddonfield to find his sister, and finish the job he started years before.

“Halloween” does some things really well, and some things really poorly. The result is an average movie that in no way eclipses the original. The good includes Tyler Mane as the grown up Michael. Finally played by an actual actor, Michael is menacing and really scary. It’s also nice to see familiar scenes from the original. That, along with the original’s music makes the film feel close to the original at times. Unfortunately, with 45 minutes devoted to backstory that took about 10 minutes in the original, the meat of the story feels compressed and rushed. There is no building up to the final showdown. It feels like the movie is one continuous murder after the other. Lastly, the ending is terrible, without any of the creepiness of the original. Yes, it has been changed, and not for the better. Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” is an interesting take on the original, but is deeply flawed. If you want to see a great “Halloween”, go rent the original directed by John Carpenter.

Becoming Jane ***Cast: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith, Joe Anderson, Anna Maxwell Martin
Director: Julian Jarrold
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: PG

In 1796, a young Jane Austen (Hathaway) meets Tom Lefroy (McAvoy). He has no money and depends on his uncle to support him. After initial dislike, they fall in love. Jane’s mom (Walters) is not pleased, as she wants Jane to marry someone rich, like Lady Gresham’s (Smith) nephew). Jane’s father (Cromwell) wants her to follow her heart. While this relationship develops, Jane also follows her other passion: writing. And her writing will mirror her life.

“Becoming Jane” is a fictionalized account of an unknown time in h the life of Jane Austen. Much like “Shakespeare in Love” took liberties with the facts, so does “Becoming Jane”. Of course “Becoming Jane” is less successful, The acting is ok…no Oscar contenders here. Hathaway and McAvoy are engaging, but not spectacular. Jane Austen fans will enjoy the film and its references to her works. Those who enjoy love stories will also be somewhat satisfied. “Becoming Jane” isn’t for everyone, but it is worth checking

Superbad ***Cast: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone, Martha MacIsaac, Aviva
Director: Greg Mottola
Running Length: 1:53
MPAA Classification: R

Evan (Cera) is a average shy high schooler. Seth (Hill) is loud and obnoxious. Fogell (Mintz-Plasse) is a big nerd. Together, they have a chance to impress the girls at a high school party by supplying alcohol. Evan is interested in Becca (MacIsaac), Seth likes Jules (Stone), and Fogell wants Nicola (Aviva). Of course nothing goes smoothly, and soon they are dealing with Officers Slater (Hader) and Michaels (Rogan), who aren’t very competent and want to hang with Fogell, who is going by the name McLuvin on his new fake ID.

“Superbad” is a very funny movie. The dialogue is profane and very R-rated, but clever as well. It is like an even funnier version of “American Pie”. The three leads are all believable as high schoolers on the brink of college. The camaraderie is genuine, and you can tell that they had a blast making this movie. Produced by Judd Apatow (director “Knocked Up”’) and written by Rogan and Evan Goldberg, it is clear that they know their subject matter, and know how to make it funny. Apatow and Rogan seem to be the voices of comedy these days, and “Superbad” is a prime example. I recommend this film.

Stardust ***
Cast: Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller, Peter O'Toole, Mark Strong, Jason Flemyng, Rupert Evertt
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Running Length: 2:02
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Tristan (Cox) loves Victoria (Miller). He would do anything for her, so when she asks him to retrieve a fallen star, he sets out across a magical wall and enters the realm of Stormhold. To his surprise, the star is actually a woman named Yvaine (Danes). She isn’t happy to be on the earth, and does not want to go with Tristan. He makes a deal with her to help her find a way back into the heavens if she just comes with him back to Victoria. Meanwhile, the witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) is looking for Yvaine as well. She wants to cut out the star’s heart to gain eternal life. Finally, Septimus (Strong) needs Yvaine’s necklace to claim the throne. Eventually, all will meet in a battle that will have consequences for the land of Stormhold.

“Stardust” is very much an adult fairy tale. Dark at times, and filled with adult humor, most kids will not like it. The cast, especially Danes, does an excellent job. The only two sticking points for “Stardust” are the running time (it runs 5-10 minutes longer than it needs to) and special effects (a little on the cheap looking side). But those are small quibbles for what is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. It’s not a classic, but it is done well, and for that I recommend it.

The Bourne Ultimatum ***1/2
Cast: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Joan Allen, Paddy Considine, Albert Finney
Director: Paul Greengrass
Running Length: 1:51
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Jason Bourne (Damon) is still searching for his true identity, and is once again becoming a thorn in the side of the CIA. Noah Vosen (Strathairn), head of black ops targets him for elimination, and soon he is on the run again. This time around agents Pamela Landy (Allen) and Nicky Parsons (Stiles) are on his side, offering their assistance to stop the darker aspects of the CIA as well as help him find himself.

“The Bourne Ultimatum” is an excellent action movie, and a fitting end(?) to the Bourne trilogy. The best of the three and the best threequel of the summer, “Bourne” is nonstop action with a smart story. Matt Damon falls back into Bourne’s shoes easily, and the supporting cast is once again top notch. The “Bourne” series has delivered top notch stories and action from the beginning, and it would be a shame if it didn’t continue beyond this point. This is one of the best action trilogies ever made. I highly recommend this film.

The Simpsons Movie ***1/2

Cast (voices): Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harrry Shearer, Hank Azaria
Director: David Silverman
Running Length: 1:27
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Homer’s (Castellaneta) new pet pig is producing a large amount of waste, and when Homer dumps that waste into Lake Springfield, the toxicity threatens the environment. The government decides to quarantine the city. The Simpsons are able to escape Springfield and their rioting citizens, and head to Alaska to start fresh. Soon, word reaches then that the government has far sinister plans for Springfield, and the family heads back to try to save their home.

18 years in the making, the Simpsons finally come to the big screen, and “The Simpsons Movie” does not disappoint. Written by 11 of the show’s best writers, the story is movie worthy, and not just three episodes cobbled together. Many secondary characters are present as well to please hardcore fans of the show. The animation is bigger, crisper, and brighter. They have gone out of their way to make this movie theater-worthy, and they have succeeded. Fans will not be disappointed, and non-fans will be able to follow the story. Hopefully, the next film will not take 18 years to hit theaters.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry *1/2
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi
Director: Dennis Dugan
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When Larry (James) has his insurance for his kids lapse, he needs to figure something out so they will be taken care of if anything happens to him. After all, he is a firefighter, and that is a dangerous profession. He enlists fellow firefighter Chuck (Sandler) to help him with his plan. They will pretend to be gay and get married so that they can reap the benefits of a domestic partnership. The government is suspicious, and sends an investigator by the name of Clinton Fitzer (Buscemi) to look into the matter. Chuck and Larry get a lawyer of their own, Alex McDonough (Biel). Of course, Chuck is immediately interested in her, and that may prove to be a problem with their plan.

There really is only one problem with “Chuck and Larry”, although it’s a big one: the movie is not funny. Sandler and James are going through the motions in what could be a funny premise, but more often than not, the humor falls flat. Aykroyd and Buscemi are painful to watch, and ff that isn’t bad enough, the movie becomes preachy as it draws to a end, an ending that is a ridiculous solution to the problem at hand. I cannot recommend this film at all.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ****
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Katie Leung, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright
Director: David Yates
Running Length: 2:15
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Before year five at Hogwarts can even begin, Harry (Radclife) and his cousin Dudley are attacked by dementors in the muggle world. Soon Harry finds himself on trial for having used magical powers to save himself and his cousin. Voldemort’s (Fiennes) presence is felt everywhere. The Ministry of Magic denies he is alive. Those at Hogwarts, specifically the Order of the Phoenix, know better. To stop the truth from getting out, the Ministry sends Dolores Umbridge (Staunton) to Hogwarts. She gradually begins to seize power, punishing those students and teacher who dare to challenge her. Meanwhile, Harry is having visions and teaching his classmates himself to prepare them for an inevitable showdown.

Gone are the lighter days of “Harry Potter” 1 & 2. “Order of the Phoenix” is firmly traveling down the dark road that will end two movies in the future. The movies have grown up, and that is very welcome. Each is better than the one before, and “Order of the Phoenix” is no exception. The actors could play their characters in their sleep at this point, and returning to the wizard world is like visiting old friends. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson have all become the beloved characters at this point, and the supporting cast has accomplished the same with less screen time. David Yates brings yet another voice to the director’s chair, and pulls it off despite limited motion picture experience. “Order of the Phoenix” is another fine film in what is probably one of the most significant movie franchises ever. I highly recommend this film.

Transformers ***1/2
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Andersen, Jon Voight, John Turturro
Director: Michael Bay
Running Length: 2:15
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Sam Witwicky (LeBeouf) has graduated from school, and his dad decides to buy him a car. That car turns out to be a robot named Bumblebee, who is searching for Sam’s grandfather’s glasses. The glasses contain a clue to where the Allspark, the Transformers’ cube of power that allows the creation of life, is. Bumblebee is one of the good guys, and soon he is fighting off the evil Decepticons, who want to use this cube to take over the Earth. Led by Optimus Prime (Cullen), the Autobots must fight off the Decepticons and save the Earth with the help of Sam and his girlfriend (Fox).

“Transformers” is based on the 20 year old toy line. I loved Transformers as a kid, and the thought of a movie intrigued me. The thought of Michael Bay directing terrified me. But I was hopeful. Fortunately, “Transformers” turned out to be a pretty faithful adaptation of the toy line and cartoon from the 1980s. Michael Bay, a terrible director for the most part, is well suited for the shoot ‘em up, special effects heavy movie. This is easily his best film. “Transformers” delivers the action and effects, but most surprisingly, it is funny. It is absolutely great to hear the voice of Peter Cullen coming out of Optimus Prime. (He voiced him in the cartoon series). Shia LaBeouf continues his climb up the ladder of stardom by giving a good performance in a movie that executive producer Steven Speilberg says is just about “a boy and his car”. “Transformers” is one of the bigger surprises of the year, and is a film that can be enjoyed by all. If you are looking for a great summer popcorn flick, I highly recommend “Transformers”.

The 15 Best Movies I Saw in the First Half of 2007
1. The Queen **** (from 2006)
2. Babel **** (from 2006)
3. Zodiac ***1/2
4. Notes on a Scandal ***1/2 (from 2006)
5. 1408 ***1/2
6. 300 ***1/2
7. Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) ***1/2 (from 2006)
8. The Last King of Scotland ***1/2 (from 2006)
9. Knocked Up ***1/2
10. Ocean's Thirteen ***1/2
11. Live Free or Die Hard ***1/2
12. Spider-Man 3 ***1/2
13. Ratatouille ***1/2
14. Grindhouse ***1/2
15. Vacancy ***1/2

Ratatouille ***1/2
Cast (voices): Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo
Director: Brad Bird
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: G

Remy (Oswalt) is a rat who wants to be a chef. He has refined senses and refuses to eat the garbage that other rats eat. They use him as a “poison detector”, a job which he despises. One day, he meets Linguini (Romono), a janitor at Gusteau’s, a famous Paris restaurant. Hiding under his hat, Remi can manipulate Linguini into creating amazing dishes. Soon, everyone is talking about this new chef, but the chef whose position he has usurped (Holm) wants revenge. Renowned food critic Anton Ego (O’Toole) is also reviewing the restaurant, and Remi and Linguini may be in over their heads.

“Ratatouille” is the latest in the string of great movies from Pixar. It’s a notch below last year’s “Cars”, but still better than the majority of animated movies that have come out in the last decade. The humor works on two levels as has become Pixar’s standard. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this film. The voice talents are mostly lesser names, and that works fine; they all suit their characters. “Ratatouille” is a great film that young and old can enjoy together.

Live Free or Die Hard ***1/2
Cast: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Kevin Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Director: Len Wiseman
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When cyberterrorist Thomas Gabriel (Olyphant) begins to take down America’s computer systems, John McClane (Willis) gets the call from his superiors to pick up programmer Matt Farrell (Long). Farrell has some idea of what Gabriel has done, and all of Farrell’s colleagues have been killed. Farrell is the last hope to stop Gabriel. Of course, McClane is not the only one out to find him. Gabriel’s goons are looking to finish him off before he can be of any help to the authorities. McClane foils their plans repeatedly, and as Farrell gets closer to shutting Gabriel down, Gabriel kidnaps McClane’s daughter Lucy (Winstead) to use as leverage. Of course, putting McClane’s family members in danger has never really worked well for terrorists before.

After twelve years, John McClane is back. He is a older and a bit more hardened, but it is good to see him again. I forgot how much I liked the “Die Hard” movies, and seeing McClane again was like seeing an old friend. Bruce Willis still seems at home playing him, and I have a feeling that this movie will breathe new life into the franchise. Olyphant is good as the bad guy, and Long gets the job done as the sidekick, although he may have a hard time living down those Mac commercials. The story is scary enough to make you worry it could happen, but over the top enough to just be a bit too ridiculous. All in all it is good fun though. Those worring about the PG-13 rating watering down this R-rated franchise should not worry. Nothing is lost. I highly recommend this film as one of the best action movies of the summer.

1408 ***1/2
Cast: John Cusack, Mary McCormack, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Mikael Håfström
Running Length: 1:34
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Mike Enslin (Cusack) makes his living by writing about haunted houses. He is a skeptic, and his writings chronicle the lack of ghosts in these haunted places. Next on his agenda is room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York. The room is a prime prospect for him. The hotel has been around for almost 100 years and 56 people have died in the room. The manager of the hotel (Jackson) strongly advises Enslin not to go into the room, but Enslin persists and soon finds himself in 1408 for the night. Soon, he finds that he may have made a mistake, but my then the room will not let him go.

“1408” is probably the best horror movie I have seen in a while. It is even proof that a good horror movie can be made with a PG-13 rating. This is all due to then fine acting provided by John Cusack, who must carry the movie all by himself for the majority of the film’s running time. Jackson is good in his small role as the hotel’s manager, but this is Cusack’s movie. Based on the short story by Stephen King, this film is easily one of the best based on King’s work. I highly recommend this film.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ***
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chilkis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Laurence Fishburne (voice), Doug Jones
Director: Tim Story
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: PG

Reed Richards (Gruffud) and Sue Storm (Alba) are getting married, or at least trying to. Extraterrestrial intervention, in the form of the Silver Surfer (Jones, voice of Fishburne), stops the wedding and threatens the very existence of the Earth. The Surfer’s arrival also awakens Dr. Doom (McMahon), and soon he is helping the Fantastic Four to stop the Surfer, although he has plans of his own. When the Surfer’s master, Galactus, arrives, the Fantastic Four must fight Doom, convince the Surfer that they deserve to live, and stop Galactus from eating the planet.

The Fantastic Four are a more light hearted superheroes than the X-Men or Batman, but that is not a bad thing. Like the first movie, this one is child friendly and entertaining in a lighter way. The gang from the first movie are all back for a second go at things, and they seem more comfortable in their roles. The Surfer is a cool looking character that is more than he seems, and the action is a little more impressive this time around. “Rise” does enough things right that the mistakes are easier to take. The exception might be the anti-climactic ending, but I don’t know how that could have been handled differently. All in all, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” is an entertaining addition to the Marvel movie world.

Ocean’s Thirteen ***1/2
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Carl Reiner, Eddie Izzard, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Running Length: 2:02
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his gang are back, this time to get revenge against Willie Bank (Pacino). Bank has screwed over Reuben Tishkoff (Gould), and taken his land and money to build a new casino, causing Reuben to have a heart attack. The gang, led by Ocean, Rusty Ryan (Pitt), and Linus Caldwell (Damon), decide to put the new casino deep into the red and steal Bank’s diamonds.

“Ocean’s 13” is a vast improvement over “12” and on par with “11”, if not a little better. The cast know their characters so well by this point and have a great chemistry. You know that they had fun making this movie, and it shows. The action is minimum, but interest is sustained through following their plan as it comes to fruition. There are some twists, but nothing earth-shattering. Mostly, this is a chance to see good actors doing their thing. Fans of this series will not be disappointed, and although director Steven Soderbergh says this is the last one, I can’t help but hope that he changes his mind.

Knocked Up ***1/2
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr
Director: Judd Apatow
Running Length: 2:08
MPAA Classification: R

Alison Scott (Heigl) is an up-and-comer who has just received a promotion at the E! Entertainment network, and will now be doing on-air interviews. Ben Stone (Rogan) is a slacker who watches movies for nude scenes so he can post the info on a Mr. Skin-type website he and his buddies are creating. He also likes to smoke pot and just hang out. Alison’s and Ben’s paths cross on the night of her promotion, and after a few drinks have a one night stand. Two months later, their misunderstanding they had about condom use, comes back to haunt them as Alison discovers she is pregnant. Ben and Alison decide to give it a shot and get to know each other, since either way, their lives are now entwined.

Director Judd Apatow’s follow up to “The 40-Year Old Virgin” shows that he is a gifter writer and director. “Knocked Up” has all the charm of his first film, and is excellent. Heigl and Rogan are a cute couple, and have great chemistry. Rogan is hilarious as usual, and this could very well be a breakout role for him. The rest of the cast is pulled from Apatow’s previous works “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared”. His wife and kids are even in the film, and it is obvious these people all enjoy working together. “Knocked Up” is a rare movie that will satisfy both men and women. I highly recommend this film. It is probably the funniest movie out there since “The 40-Year Old Virgin”, and well worth your time.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End **1/2
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Chow Yun-Fat, Jack Davenport, Bill Nighy, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin R. McNally, Tom Hollander, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Lee Arenberg, Mackenzie Crook
Director: Gore Verbinski
Running Length: 2:48
MPAA Classification: PG-13

At the end of “Dead Man’s Chest”, the pirates resolved to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) from Davy Jones’ Locker. Wih the help of Captain Sao Feng (Yun-Fat), Will Turner (Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Knightley), and the newly resurrected Captain Barbossa (Rush) travel to the Locker to retrieve Jack so they can attend a meeting of the Nine Lords of the Bretheren to come up with a plan to fight Davy Jones (Nighy) and Lord Cutler Beckett (Hollander), who control the seas.

“At World’s End” feels just like “Dead Man’s Chest” (makes sense since they were filmed together) which felt just like “Curse of the Black Pearl”. What was fresh and new isn’t anymore. The biggest difference between all these movies, is that “At World’s End” is the longest. In fact, it is way too long, and that hurts the film immensely. The charm of Jack Sparrow is beginning to wear thin, and a break from this franchise would probably help in the long run. Completists will want to see the third adventure of these pirates, but “At World’s End” is disappointing, and that is a shame for a series that started out as something new and fresh.

Shrek the Third **1/2
Cast (voices): Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Evert, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Eric Idle
Directors: Chris Miller, Raman Hui
Running Length: 1:33
MPAA Classification: PG

King Harold (Cleese) is dying, and names Shrek (Myers) as his heir. Shrek wants none of that, and sets out to find Arthur (Timberlake). Aided by Donkey (Murphy) and Puss ‘n Boots (Banderas), he finds Arthur only to discover he is a bit of a loser. Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, Prince Charming (Evert) stages a coup, imprisioning Fiona (Diaz), Queen Lillian (Andrews), Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and others. Shrek has his work cut out for him.

“Shrek the Third” is move of the same. There is nothing remotely new about this installment of the franchise. It exists only to make money, and will make a lot of it. But, the story feels tired this time around. Sure, it is good to see the familiar characters once again, but they give us nothing new. Adults may be bored, but children will probably love it (my nephew did). I really cannot recommend this film though.