There appears to be a very natural progression from one Shrek movie to the next. It’s not the progression of the characters, which would be nice, but rather the progression of the storytellers. When the first Shrek started production eight or nine years ago, the creative minds at Dreamworks were clearly single, hip young adults who couldn’t help but mix in a handful of pop culture references and jabs at Disney. It was a fun extra layer to a movie that was still genuinely funny for kids and had its heart in the right place. Shrek 2 saw those artists move into more serious relationships, including marriage, which brought about a relatively amusing exploration of in-law trouble in the fairytale world. It wasn’t really for kids, but there was enough fresh material to make up for it—most notably the delightful Puss in Boots. Now we have Shrek the Third, and clearly those former hipsters are now facing life with little children. Thus we have a movie about reluctant new dads, baby showers, and the division between those with kids and those without. For good measure, our heroes journey into the dark netherworld of high school. None of this is for kids, and none of it is amusing. But there are still treats to be had, and enough general nonsense to entertain kids. Make no mistake, however: this entry is nowhere near as enjoyable as the previous two. The novelty has worn off, and there are no new tricks.

The king (voiced by John Cleese) is dying, and he has named Shrek (Mike Myers) as the heir to the throne. To complicate matters, Fiona (Cameron Diaz) informs Shrek that she’s pregnant. As if the prospect of becoming king weren’t daunting enough, Shrek is terrified of what kind of father he, an ogre, will make. But there is another possible heir to the throne, a teenager named Arthur Pendragon. So Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss (Antonio Banderas) set out to retrieve Artie and bring him back to Far, Far Away. But it won’t be that easy. Not only is Artie (Justin Timberlake) a bit of an outcast, but the dastardly Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) has his own plans for gaining the vacant throne. He has gathered all the great fairytale villains into a mob of vengeance.

There is nothing wrong with that plot, except that Fiona is left behind with a collection of classic princesses who turn out to be shallow and unpleasant. You’d think a trio voiced by Amy Poehler, Amy Sedaris, and Maya Rudolph would be anything but annoying, yet they are just that. It’s one of the chronic Dreamworks problems—casting celebrities in nearly every role whether or not there’s anything for them to do. And other name actors were unable to make an impression: Ian McShane, Cheri Oteri, Seth Rogen, and John Krasinski as Sir Lancelot (I’m guessing he’ll figure big in Shrek 4). The Shrek movies are the most successful animated franchise in history, so it’s easy to see why Dreamworks keeps making them. But it might be worthwhile for them to really consider whether or not there are more stories here. And the swipes at Disney are starting to feel like sour grapes. What is nice about Shrek is the message: accept yourself for who you are. However, what was quite moving in the first film has become almost obligatory on the third go-round.

Shrek the Third isn’t a terrible movie. It’s a disappointment compared to its predecessors, but a perfectly adequate diversion for the kids. It does earn its PG rating, with unfunny references to drug use and a lot of implied violence. And the main actors—Myers, Diaz, Murphy, and Banderas—fall into their roles very comfortably. I’ll still gladly see the rumored Puss in Boots spin off, and hopefully Shrek 4 will take a little more care in the story department next time. If the natural progression continues, the next film will find Shrek in a midlife crisis. As long as there’s a cool song playing, even that will probably be a hit.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California, and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.