Shrek movies used to be a lot like an ogrenion. On the outside, a pleasant, innocous kids movie, straight-forward anti-fairy-tale plot, and a happily ever after ending. For the adults, there were layers and layers of innuendo and allusion to popular culture, makinng the movies a treat for all ages.

Now, not so much. Less with the allusion, more with the illusion. The CGI in this film was stunning - the people were more realistic than ever, the scenery looked almost real.

Unfortunately, there was a compete lack of humour, on any level. I wouldn't take kids to see this: the dope-smoking high-schoolers are enough reason for that, as is the 'royally fucked' joke when Shrek learns to be a father.

It's not for the adults either: the Python homage barely makes it on screen, even with 2 Pythons in the cast. The LotR reference was barely a glimpse - literally a 1-second shot.The Charlies Angels sequence that was so clearly being set up never came.

There weren't adult jokes either, unless you count the aforementioned 'royally fucked', and maybe two more.

The movie doesn't even manage to maintain a coherent sense of place. Early on in the movie, the dead frog-king is given a burial at 'sea', floating in a Foot Locker shoebox in a fountain, while a choir of Warner-Brotheresque singing frogs belt out a James Bond theme. No, I don't understand why, either.

I'm very dissapointed. One baby dragon/ass out out of five.