Critics lukewarm on third Shrek

Shrek and Donkey team up again to find a new king

The third instalment of the successful Shrek movie series has received mixed reviews from critics in the US.

Film industry bible Variety said that while many characters were still enjoyable, the series was showing "signs of encroaching middle age".

The Hollywood Reporter said the film lacked the wit and bite of the original and the makers had "gone to the well one time too many".

DreamWorks' first two Shrek movies made £1.4bn ($707m) at global box offices.

'Vaudeville show'

Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz again star as the two ogres living in a world of cynical fairytale characters.

This time, they find themselves the reluctant rulers of the land of Far Far Away and battling to return to the quiet life.

Kirk Honeycutt, writing for the Hollywood Reporter, said he felt the formula had become tired.

"What Shrek the Third has evolved into is less a story film than a vaudeville show," he said.