"Shrek the Third" *** (out of four): The domestication of the Ogre continues unabated in this third - and possibly last - installment of the increasingly-sanitized animated franchise.

Time was, an ogre would spend his days in a swamp, wallowing in his own filth and surrounded by all manner of creepy-crawlies. Nowadays, in “Shrek the Third”, you can find Dreamworks’ beloved animated creation nestled snuggly in a comfy bed with his new bride beside him. That’s bound to change an ogre. Indeed, all this time spent in the kingdom of Far Far Away has noticeably mellowed the big green guy. He’s like Ice Cube in the “Are We There Yet?” movies. Ol’ Shrek even seems to have lost his accent. He sounds less Scottish and more like, well, Mike Myers. He even looks less like an ogre and more, dare I say it, Schwarzeneggerian. I swear I even spotted him wearing make-up. The bottom line is, this third - and possibly last non-direct-to-DVD - installment of the once edgy animated franchise isn’t your grandfather’s ogre – or even your grandnephew’s. But it’s still good for a laugh.

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