Movie Review: 'Shrek Forever After' - An enjoyable but forgettable ending for Shrek

Shek finds himself in a very strange and ugly Far Far Away in "Shrek Forever After." PHOTO: Dreamworks Animation

When “Shrek” hit cinemas in the summer of 2001, it was instantly hailed as a modern classic. It’s easy to see why – it was inventive, fresh, witty, and choke full of humor that both adults and children were able to enjoy. Now, after nine years, two sequels, countless stale pop cultural references and more than a billion dollars in ticket sales, comes the supposed “final” installment in the wildly popular series. And to that I say, “So Long, Farewell and Thank God!”

In “Shrek Forever After,” Shrek (Mike Myers) has become an over-domesticated ogre. Tired of his monotonous daily routine (illustrated in a comic “Groundhog Day”-like sequence) and being treated like a celebrity by the very same townsfolk who once feared him, Shrek longs to re-live his good old nasty and mean ogre days. After a rather violent and embarrassing outburst at a birthday party, Shrek gets into a bitter argument with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), insults her and storms off into the forest, sulking.

SHREK FOREVER AFTER

That's when he 'bumps" into the diminutive but devious Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) who offers him a solution for his problems. He’ll give Shrek a day to relive his glory days in exchange for any measly day of his life. Unfortunately for Shrek, Rumpelstilskin takes away the day Shrek was born, thus throwing him into an alternate universe where he never existed. In this alternate world, Fiona is now a warrior princess who hates him, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) is a cart-tugging … donkey who fears him, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is a severely over-weight and spoilt kitty, and worst of all, Rumpelstilskin is the tyrannical ruler of the kingdom. With only 24 hours left until he ceases to exist, Shrek has to find a way to break the spell before it’s too late.

To be honest, “Shrek Forever After” isn’t as bad as its lame trailers make it out to be. It does have genuinely funny moments and for the most part, is a pleasant ride. The animation is still gorgeous and creative and the movie is far better than the bloated and misguided “Shrek the Third.” A big reason why “Shrek Forever After” has a leg over its predecessor is because it isn’t saddled with as many pop cultural references. Dreamworks has a tendency of unnecessarily jam-packing their animated films with pop cultural references so to see less of them is something of a relief; although, those who enjoy the series for that very reason have nothing to fret. We get a funny “Wizard of Oz” joke, a Zena warrior princess nod, the Pied Piper of Hamlin makes an appearance as a hit-man, and we even get a ridiculous chimichonga joke.

Puss in Boots and Donkey are still the funniest characters in the
series. PHOTO: Dreamworks Animation

As in the previous films, Puss N’Boots, again charmingly voiced by Antonio Banderas, is the film’s funniest and most memorable character – even if he’s grossly overweight this time– a joke that’s nearly milked to death. I'm hoping the “Puss in Boots” spinoff, due in November 2011, will turn out to be as just as funny as the character.

For all its pros, I can’t get over how stale “Shrek Forever After” is. If you’ve seen all the previous films, there really is no point in seeing “Forever After.” The story is merely a mash-up of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Back to the Future 2” and none of the new characters are funny or interesting enough to warrant a trip to the movies. Apart from a running joke concerning his flamboyant hair, Rumpelstilskin, the villain and most significant new character of the movie is, sadly, utterly forgettable. He’s essentially an annoying, low-rent version of Lord Farquaad. The new group of ogres, most of them twice the size of Shrek, are a two-dimensional bunch – save for the chimichonga obsessed one voiced by Craig Robinson.

Rumpelstilskin is a weak villain. PHOTO: Dreamworks Ani.

Unlike “Shrek,” which mostly relied on broad humor that catered to both young and old, this sequel is a mostly kiddy-centric affair. So expect more emphasis on the poop, fart and belching jokes. Additionally, while there are many funny moments, many others including a montage set to The Carpenters’ “Top of the World” fall flat. It’s as if screenwriters Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke were directed to cut down on the laughs and focus on Shrek’s existential drama instead. Who wants to see Shrek mope about a mid-life crisis? Not me!

A note on the 3-D. Don’t waste an additional $5 on 3-D. If there ever was a film where 3-D felt inessential, this is it! I watched “Forever After” only three days ago and I can’t even remember anything about the 3-D, other than having to wear those flimsy oversized glasses.

BOTTOM LINE: “Shrek Forever After” is clearly a step up from the bloated “Shrek the Third,” but like most fourth films in franchises, it’s just stale and forgettable. Gone is the originality and wit that made the first film a classic. Despite its flaws, the film is nevertheless a moderately enjoyable experience that should please the youngest of kids. For everyone else, it’s just a rental.

GRADE:

SHREK FOREVER AFTER
Directed by: Mike Mitchell
Written by: Josh Klausner , Darren Lemke
Starring (voices of): Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
Rated: PG (for mild action, some rude humor and brief language)

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO READ MY 2010 SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW

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"SHREK FOREVER AFTER" opens tomorrow at all major South Florida multiplexes. Click the NCM Widget Below for Showtimes.