Movies: Shrek the Third

Release Date: May 18
Director: Chris Miller
Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas

Slick, sit-commish and gag-happy the DreamWorks animated features may be, but it's hard to knock the studio's formula when it provides such an amazing density of smart humor and satisfying movie manufacturing. This time the jolly green giant (voiced by Mike Myers) and his princess bride (Cameron Diaz) are up against a militia of fairy-tale losers: gnomes and stepsisters with a grudge, led by a prince not-so-charming (Rupert Everett). Shrek the Third is the first of the summer season's five animated features — the others are the Japanese anime Paprika, the penguin-dude mockumentary Surf's Up, Pixar's Ratatouille and Fox's The Simpsons Movie — all of which could be pretty darn fun to sit through.