Shrek the Third

In the third installment of the beloved animated franchise, Shrek the Third, the ogre Shrek is reluctantly preparing to face a new chapter in his life. The King of Far Far Away, who is actually Shrek's stepfather, has died, and the throne is about to be passed down to him. However, Shrek and his wife Fiona are less than thrilled at the prospect of giving up their quiet life in the swamp to take on the responsibilities of ruling the kingdom. As a means to an end, Shrek convinces Fiona to let him take their son Arthur, a child who looks remarkably like an ogre, on his journey to find Prince Artie, a British high school student who is also the long-lost heir to the throne. It turns out that Artie is not a traditional prince, coming from a rebellious teenage background and struggling to adapt to his royal lineage. Shrek takes Artie under his belt, while also dealing with the multiple desires of Fairy Godmother, who seeks to have Artie become the new king and marry her daughter, Fion. Unbeknownst to Shrek and his friends, she possesses the ambition to control the faraway kingdom and transform it into a Disney-esque fantasy realm where magic and imagination come alive. Meanwhile, Prince Charming is one of the central antagonists of the story; as desperate to reclaim his royal inheritance and restore order in Far Far Away, he partners with Fairy Godmother to expedite Shrek's downfall. However, their attempts to kill Shrek come up empty and he manages to stay alive. This movie also touches upon deeper themes of identity, social recognition and maturity. Shrek is at a crossroads, trying to maintain both his affectionate self and the strong ogre he used to be. It can be said that he has to make a mental choice of whether to walk the path of a true ogre or choose a new way: becoming the noble and mighty King Shrek, fit to rule the kingdom, while still proudly being a father to his little son, Arthur, who indeed in actual fact is a hidden truth a prince raised among the non royal population. Shrek encounters formidable foes, battles to save Prince Artie and the eventual love interest princesses, but these trials, the most agonizing, involves a voyage of self-discovery and confrontation with the limits of identity that defines him and establishes the source of the film's entertainment value. Despite his reluctance in taking up his new crown, Shrek develops an awareness of his impact, in particular on Arthur, and with these life-changing insights – becomes his ancestor's peer, even if occasionally in a hard, ogre-like style, ruling the once peaceful kingdom he is willing to give up quiet enjoyment of the swamp for.