SYNOPSIS:
It started with a loveable ogre…who befriended a talking donkey…and rescued a beautiful princess in the unforgettable story that broke the mold for all animated films to follow. Now comes Shrek Forever After, the hilarious and fitting finale to thie record-breaking, Oscar®-winning movie phenomenon. Longing for the days when he was a “real ogre,” Shrek signs a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to get his roar back…but turns his world upside down in the process. Donkey suddenly can’t remember his best friend; Fiona is now a tough warrior princess; and Puss in Boots is one fat cat! Together, they have just 24 hours to reverse the contract and restore happily FOREVER after to close the final chapter.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Here’s a thought- how do you know when a franchise has run out of ideas? When it has nowhere to go but back to zero. That’s what happens in this fourth and supposedly final chapter of the Shrek franchise, the series that began in 2001 which tickled us silly with its hilarious subversion of classic fairy tales. I mean, who expected a green ogre who was loud and uncouth, who loved to take mud-baths, and who delighted in scaring everyone else away, would turn out to be a Prince Charming?
But yes, over two sequels, that novelty has all but worn out, so in trying to give the green ogre one last run for its money, “Shrek Forever After” uses the excuse of a mid-life crisis and an evil clown called Rumpelstiltskin to reverse all that has happened in the past three movies and take us back to where Shrek began. In other words, without the friendship of Donkey and Puss and without the love of Princess Fiona. What is Shrek to do? Well, try to get Fiona to fall in love again, and get Donkey and Puss to be best pals once more.
Don’t we already know that story? Apparently so, since almost everything that writers Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke can think of seems a rehash of what we have already seen in the first three movies. Sure, Fiona is now some Xena- Warrior Ogre and Puss has grown rounder, but the tale of friendship and romance between the much beloved characters remains essentially the same- except this time, even director Mike Mitchell seems to want to try through everything as fast as possible so you won’t recognise its familiarity.
Nice try- it was already clear from the last sequel that Shrek’s colour was a sign of how the franchise had grown with the times (in one word- stale), and this fourth parter was going to have to work doubly hard to convince us that it should have just stopped at three. While certainly not as dire as the third film, “Shrek Forever After” is still a pale shadow of the LOL gags in the first and second film. Indeed, it seems that any inspiration had just about stopped with the introduction of Antonio Banderas’ feisty orange cat Puss in “Shrek 2”.
Without the distraction of the additional dimension on home video, the mediocrity of this movie becomes even more plain and emphasising its ultimate redundancy. If we had to oblige, then the only reason “Shrek Forever After” should exist is to redeem the franchise from the utter embarrassment of the third movie. Still, this fourth chapter never does reach the comedic heights of the first two movies and it’s high time Dreamworks let this ogre have his happily ever after ending- no matter how clichéd that may sound..
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Nada. Highly surprisingly for a major feature film like this.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 is a good surround sound treat, the audio track giving the front and back speakera s good workout coupled with a great sense of place. Visuals are pristine, and colours look especially vibrant.
MOVIE RATING :
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Gabriel Chong
Posted
on 3 January 2011 |
