Another week, another sequel. Three weeks into the 2007 summer blockbuster season, and Hollywood has offered three consecutive follow-ups: Spider-Man 3, 28 Weeks Later, and this week’s Shrek the Third. Personally, I’m not opposed to sequels. Provided that the revisited characters/storylines have something new to say, sequels can be extremely entertaining. On the other hand, sequels can be excruciating to watch when they are practically forced onscreen for the sole purpose of generating ticket sales and promotional tie-ins (Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous and Dumb and Dumberer immediately come to mind). Shrek the Third falls somewhere in between these two extremes.

This time around, Shrek (Mike Myers) is on a quest to find a new heir to the throne after the sudden death of his father-in-law. To make life even more hectic for the ogre, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) is also expecting a baby with the reluctant father-to-be. Although the film is never boring or bad, it lacks the creative spark that fueled the first two entries. The pop-culture jabs, fairy-tale interpretations, and adult-themed jokes still run rampant throughout the film, but they somehow feel less fresh this time around and entirely expected. Fortunately, the visuals and voice-work remain stellar in this latest entry.

When all is said and done, Shrek the Third produces four conclusions:

1. Children will love it
2. It will be another huge moneymaker
3. The film suffers greatly from the law of diminishing returns, and although it remains entertaining, it is probably best that the franchise end with this installment
4. Based on Conclusion #2 and in spite of Conclusion #3, Shrek 4 will be coming soon to a theatre near you