Shrek and his pals are back for more adventure and pop culture references in Shrek the Third, which follows the quest for the king's throne in Far, Far Away, and Shrek's impending fatherhood.

I’ve had about enough of Shrek’s griping. The big green ogre persecutes himself on the one thing he can’t change—being a big green ogre! No one else even notices anymore—not the donkey, the cat, the gingerbread man, and not the audience, who stood close at first site: the big green ogre picking his gooey earwax while bathing in what we hope is mud. Seems to me the swamp-dweller craves attention, a vibe we get from the Dreamworks Animation team who’ve turned, like Disney, their lovable leads into relentless product-whores.

Shrek the Third (or, The Greatest Fairytale Never Told One Too Many Times) takes place some, oh, nine months after Shrek 2, and to offer an update: Donkey (Murphy) is a father to ass-dragon hybrids, Shreka (Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have a booger-baby in the oven, and Puss in Boots (Banderas) is chasing tail. That’s about all that’s changed in Far, Far Away, the land where the Middle Ages meets the McCartney era. Otherwise, the routine fart jokes and pop-rock soundtrack stand (with Led Zeppelin and The Ramones lending tracks this go-around).

The movie only once hints at the road less traveled when Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) enlists a troop of failed fairytale heels (Captain Hook and Rumpelstiltskin, amidst stock players) to slay Shrek’s cohorts and overtake the kingdom. But this all goes nowhere slow, the intriguing premises sidetracked by yet another trek involving Shrek, Donkey, and Puss, this time scouring Worcestershire for Arthur (Justin Timberlake), whom Shrek, controlled by his Ogre-Complex, finds a more suiting heir than himself to King Harold’s newly-vacated throne.

Ex-‘N Syncer Timberlake is aided by “third tallest member of Monty Python” Eric Idle in deflating what little energy the franchise had left. The ladies (comprised mostly of SNL wash-ups) don’t help much either, needling Disney darlings Snow White, Cinderella, Belle (and Grimm’s Rapunzel) into über-nags. I think we all preferred Fiona without the Angels…

Only the distinct chords of Ian McShane and John Cleese (Captain Hook, King Harold, respectively) are welcomed. But these, combined with the Siren-esque tone of Larry King (as stepsister Doris, some sort of Frida-Buttafuoco spawn) won’t appeal to the booster seat occupants as much as they will the ‘rents—same goes for the steady hints of Baby Herman. Fortunately, the picture might be, at 82 minutes ‘til credits, too short to get boring.

Shrek was introduced to audiences in 2001, in turn luring $920-million worth of moviegoers to 2004’s Shrek 2 and a fraction less to the Third. Shrek Goes Fourth is slated for a 2010 release and it’s going to take a storybook miracle—or the resurrection of Chris Farley—to save the franchise at this point.

Video: Widescreen.

Audio: English & French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, English & Spanish 2.0 Surround. Subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

No letdown here, folks, as both aspects look and sound marvelous on the disc.

Worcestershire Academy Yearbook: This unique little addition allows you to browse the yearbook of the academy that Artie (Timberlake) attended, from the cheerleaders and mascots to the chess club and marching band. Each classmate’s pages has audio in regards to their clubs/interests, dedication, bequeath, greatest desire, and quote. What, no favorite album?

Big Green Goofs (1:55) is a collection of silly scene tweakings put together by the animators.

Lost Scenes (18:24): This is a small, but bit lengthy collection of pitches to scenes that never made it much past that. This is a fun twist on your average Deleted Scenes feature, with the animators showing off their energy and passion for the project.

Donkey Dance (0:31) isn’t as sexy as it sounds. The lovable ass shakes his donkey to ‘The Safety Dance.’

Meet the Cast (10:40) is a BTS/interview-centric look at the voice talent (both lead and supporting) and the characters they portray. Typical to be included on the disc, but still a nice addition.

Shrek’s Guide to Parenthood allows you to choose a character (Donkey, Puss in Boots, Pinocchio, Gingy) to hear them offer their parenting tips for Shrek and Fiona. Because when you think parenting, you think gingerbread.

Tech of Shrek (9:54): Here we have a look at the visuals of Shrek the Third and how updated technology played a role in developing the characteristics and energy of Shrek and company. More for the adults than the kids.

Also included are a Video Jukebox, Previews, and DVD-ROM Shrektivities.

Shrek the Third, far, far, and away, is the least impressive of the trilogy. Jokes are reheated and the formula is the same as it ever was here--which may work for some. Those who felt the magic in theaters (and there were lots of them) will have a ball with the features.