Movie Info
Movie Name: Shrek Forever After
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Genre(s): Animated/Comey/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Family
Release Date(s): May 21, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Most romantic date ever…
Shrek feels like a kept ogre. He no longer does the things that make an ogre an ogre. With a wife and children and a celebrity status, Shrek’s life has become one big repetition. Shrek meets a man named Rumplestiltskin who offers Shrek a change, and Shrek finds himself trading a day of his life for the opportunity to be an ogre for a day. What Shrek does know is that Rumpelstiltskin blames Shrek for losing the kingdom of Far Far Away and by trading a day, Shrek could lose everything he holds dear.
“Do the roar!!!”
Directed by Mike Mitchell, Shrek Forever After (or Shrek 4 or Shrek: The Final Chapter) is the last entry in the Shrek series. Following Shrek 3 in 2007, most critics liked this Shrek better than the previous entry but still felt it didn’t live up to the first two films. Despite so-so reviews, the movie was a big box office draw.
I’ve never been entirely “on-board” with the whole Shrek series. Though I’d have a hard time pointing out anything criminally wrong with the films, I just can’t get into them. They try too hard to be funny. The first film is probably the most balanced of the series with a bit too much of the overbearing Donkey. The second film flipped the tables by bringing in more parody and the fun kingdom of Far Far Away which provided tons of jokes. Shrek the Third didn’t do anything to reinvent the film so it felt tired. This film returns closer to the original film’s format which is good and bad.
Puss has let himself go
The story of Shrek Forever After is a pretty basic wish movie like It’s a Wonderful Life…but I find it eerily similar to the horrible The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. In that movie, Jack Frost (Rumpelstiltskin is very similar) tricks the main character into giving up his title as Santa Claus. Jack Frost becomes king of the North Pole and it is up to Tim Allen’s character to try to convince everyone that it is an illusion. Shrek Forever After does it better, but it still feels like the same story.
His “angry wig”
The series continues to employ great voice actors. Mike Myers continues to prove to be a voice actor in Shrek, and Eddie Murphy still comes on a bit too strong in Eddie Murphy. Cameron Diaz gets a little more action in this film with Shrek essentially having to romance Fiona again. Antonio Banderas proves his “spin-off-ability” with Puss in Boots and the film has Walt Dohrn as the Troll-like Rumpelstiltskin. Like the other films there are tons of smaller roles with Jon Hamm, Craig Robinson, Jane Lynch, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Kristen Schaal, Mary Kay Place, Veredith Vieira, Larry King, Regis Philbin, Ryan Seacress, and Kathy Griffin all lending their voices.
Shrek Forever After is more enjoyable than Shrek the Third but behind Shrek and Shrek 2. The movie still is fun for fans of the series and provides a deeper plot than the third entry through it isn’t as much fun. Despite being the proclaimed “last film” in the series, Shrek has returned in some specials and Puss in Boots spun-off into his own successful film in 2011.
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