Shrek Forever After
The spark and the originality may be long gone, but the characters are still as appealing as ever, and the movie itself boasts some impressive animation. Shrek Forever After has a little bit of fun with itself, by giving us an alternate reality with a different look at some of the characters that have become so familiar to audiences by now. Yes, the filmmakers could have done more with the idea, but at least it doesn't feel like it's a total recycling project like the last movie, Shrek the Third. As the film opens, Shrek the ogre (once again voiced by Mike Myers) has found himself in a rut. Yes, he has a loving wife in the Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), three ogre children, and his ever-present friends, including the fast-talking Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and the suave Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas). Despite all this, Shrek feels like he's lost his edge. He's not the ogre he used to be. People aren't afraid of him anymore, and he feels he's become domesticated. As he's forced to change diapers and listen to his wife make the same jokes every day, he begins to wish he could have his old life back, before he rescued the Princess from the dragon's castle tower.
A disgraced magical con man named Rumpelstiltskin (Dreamworks animator Walt Dohn) hears Shrek's wish, and sees it as his opportunity to return to power. We learn in a short prologue that the impish sprite once tried to trick the King and Queen of Far Far Away (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) into turning their kingdom over to him, but his plot failed, due to Shrek rescuing their daughter in the original film. He's blamed the ogre for his misfortune ever since, and sees this as his chance for revenge. He tricks Shrek into signing a contract that will give him one full day as the ogre he used to be - Feared by villagers, chased by mobs with torches and pitchforks, and causing chaos wherever he goes. Unfortunately, the fine print of the contract also allows Rumpelstiltskin to reshape reality into his own design. No one remembers who Shrek is, and all of his past actions never happened. Therefore, Princess Fiona was never rescued (she ended up saving herself), and Rumpelstiltskin now rules the kingdom of Far Far Away with an iron fist. All of Shrek's former friends are affected by the wish as well. Not only do they not remember him, but their lives have all taken turns for the worse under the new rule of the kingdom.
I liked this aspect of the movie showing us different sides of the characters. While Donkey is more or less the same (only now he's forced to work for the evil Rumpelstiltskin as a pack mule), the once lively Puss-in-Boots has become an obese and pampered feline who can barely fit into his trademark boots, let alone battle evil forces. Princess Fiona has gone through the biggest change. Because she ended up saving herself from the dragon, she feels she can't rely on anyone but herself, and has become a hardened warrior princess who does not believe in love or friendship. This poses a problem for Shrek, as the only way he can return everything to its rightful form is by sharing "true love's kiss" with the Princess. We also get to see what's happened to some of the minor characters. I smiled during the brief scene depicting the Gingerbread Man finding work as a gladiator, battling vicious animal crackers.
If Shrek Forever After seems a little mechanical and formulaic, it's only because we've seen its mixture of fractured fairy tale storytelling crossed with pop culture references and modern songs too many times before. And although there are a couple references here and there (early in the film, we see some witches hanging out in a trailer park and playing "Dueling Banjos" with their brooms), it also is a little more plot and character-driven than past entries were. The movie is more focused on Shrek trying to get Fiona to fall in love with him, than letting the jokes fly fast and furious. Some may complain, but I felt it added a certain level of charm. It certainly helps that Myers and Diaz (as well as the rest of the returning cast) have pretty much perfected these characters over the years, and obviously find great joy in playing them. At least nobody seems to be phoning in their performances here.
As far as visuals go, Shrek is eye-catching, yet familiar. The animators obviously have seen no reason to change what worked in the past, and for good reason. It still looks good, and there are a lot of really nice details up on the screen. Some of this is muted somewhat by the fact that this is the first film in the franchise to be presented in 3D. Wearing the glasses robs some of the color, and although there are some nice effects, they're not nearly as strong as Dreamworks' last animated effort, How to Train Your Dragon. The way I see it, the movie works well enough in 3D, but there's not enough here to warrant the extra price of the ticket. You won't feel robbed if your screening happens to be in traditional 2D.
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