Shrek Forever After Reviews
Shrek Forever After review
Posted : 2 years ago on 27 March 2022 08:09Thankfully, the story is not as contrived as it was in the third film. I loved the idea and it did start off well, the "what would life be like if Shrek had never existed?" reminded me of one of my all-time favourites, It's a Wonderful Life. However, in the middle act it did have its predictable parts. The pace sags a bit too in the middle act particularly when there are parts that don't have as much humour as I would have liked. Also, while the animation was very good on the whole, I did feel that Rumplestiltskin's facial expressions were occasionally overdone and forced.
Criticisms aside, the animation is very good, very colourful and lively with some nice backgrounds. The soundtrack is also great, while the jokes are fresher and wittier than the last one, Donkey getting the best of them. The characters are still likable, the pace is in general snappy and the writing is amusing. The voice acting is also top notch, not only from Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz who are rock-solid but especially from Eddie Murphy who seamlessly comes very close to stealing the film while Antonio Banderas makes a welcome return as Puss.
Overall, not a classic but an improvement and an entertaining film. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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Shrek Never After This...
Posted : 5 years, 2 months ago on 1 February 2019 09:28Let's hope this is where it ends...
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An improvement over the third movie
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 27 December 2014 09:480 comments, Reply to this entry
Shrek Forever After review
Posted : 11 years, 10 months ago on 13 June 2012 11:440 comments, Reply to this entry
An average movie
Posted : 12 years, 4 months ago on 13 December 2011 09:26It is quite obvious, nowadays, that when Hollywood has found a successful franchise, they will exploit their cash cow forever even if there is nothing more to tell whatsoever. This year (2011), we have seen it with 'Transformers' and 'Pirates of the Carribean'. Here, it was basically the same issue with Shrek. In my opinion, the first installment was pretty good and the second installment was miraculous good as well, maybe even better. But, eventually, the other two installments were just average and they both didnโt have a really interesting plot at all. Before this movie was released, the makers agreed that the previous installment was rather disappointing and they promised that they would provide some improvement but I wasn't really convinced while watching the damned thing. In fact, for the first time, I even started to find Shrek annoying. Indeed, it was already the fourth movie I watched him moaning and whining about his poor life and, this time, it really started to get on my nerves. On the positive side, the animation still looked good, there were some funny jokes and I really enjoyed this new character, Rumpelstiltskin. To conclude, I have to admit it, it was not bad and fairly entertaining so it is still worth a look, but hopefully, they will leave Shrek alone and move on now with something else.
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A satisfying Forever After in the Shrek series...
Posted : 13 years, 10 months ago on 2 July 2010 07:19Shrek Forever After starts with Shrek and Fiona as parents to the three Ogre babies and Shrek just can't stand the fact that he can't have as much peace and quiet alone as he used to (like at the start of the film). When he and Fiona have an argument, Shrek is confronted by Rumpelstiltskin and Shrek is tricked into signing a contract to go back to his old ways. In this trick by Rumpelstiltskin, Shrek begins to realise what he has lost and what he needs in his life! Mike Myers proves once again that he has the perfect voice for the Shrek character, Eddie Murphy cracked me up again as Donkey and Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas did well too. I mean, as far as the characters in the fourth film compared to the other three, they look different or slightly act different but they are still the same heroes that we have seen in the others. As far as new villain is concerned Rumpelstiltskin, I thought he was a lame villain to be honest. I mean, yeah he looked scary but didn't seem to be as threatening as I would've expected.
The work from Chris Miller in the third film really needed to be replaced and no, Mike Mitchell didn't seem as much of a top-notch director like Andrew Adamson was for the first two films but it made up for the weak display in the third film. I mean, it turned out quite emotional and became very affectionate for adults so I am pleased that the series has ended satisfyingly.
Overall, Shrek Forever After is a satisfying end to the Shrek series that perhaps could've been better but could've been a lot worse. Enjoyable fun!
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Is this series over Forever yet?
Posted : 13 years, 10 months ago on 24 June 2010 02:22
For adults, Shrek was most enjoyable due to its willingness to lampoon the mythology of Disney's fairytales, and this aspect was given extra oomph by the fact that DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg was a former Disney employee. Unfortunately, as is the case with successful family-friendly blockbusters, sequels followed. Shrek 2 was enjoyable but unremarkable, while Shrek the Third was an appalling follow-up marred by strained humour and a dull sitcom vibe. Irony of all ironies, the Shrek franchise has become the type of pandering, predictable fairytale franchise that the first film parodied. 2010's Shrek Forever After (a.k.a. Shrek: The Final Chapter, Shrek Goes Forth, or whatever DreamWorks is calling it now) is reportedly the final entry in the series, and that's fortunate. While it's a marked improvement over the woeful Shrek the Third, this fourth film feels forced and, more pertinently, utterly unnecessary. Shrek Forever After is a product of commerce rather than art, though those wanting to say farewell to the Jolly Green Ogre may find it to be a tolerable way to spend 80 minutes.
As the old adage goes, if you're going to steal, steal from the best. It would seem those responsible for Shrek Forever After took this to heart, as the core storyline is lifted from It's a Wonderful Life. Shrek (Myers) has adopted a life of domesticity; he's a father, husband and beloved community icon. Shrek grows tired of this mundane routine, however, and begins pining for his bygone days as a feared monster without any commitments. Hearing the call is the wicked Rumpelstiltskin (Dohrn), who offers Shrek a shady contract which would provide him with 24 hours of his former life. In return, Shrek must pay with a day of his life. Inadvertently, the ogre pays the deal with the day he was born, meaning he never existed. In the alternate reality he enters, he never saved Fiona (Diaz), never befriended Donkey (Murphy), and never encountered Puss in Boots (Banderas), while Rumpelstiltskin has taken the throne of Far Far Away. Realising the gravity of his mistake, and confronted with being erased from existence in 24 hours, Shrek begins racing against the clock in the hope of reversing the contract.
The limp-wristed It's a Wonderful Life premise is at least reasonably well executed. Director Mike Mitchell has provided as much fun as can be had with whatever energy remained in the characters, and there are some laughs to be had despite a few mundane lulls in pacing. These gags are not in the least bit memorable, but Shrek Forever After is at least much more enjoyable than Shrek the Third. The Gingerbread Man steals his scenes, and his limited appearances constitute some of the film's biggest laughs, while new characters like the Pied Piper and a chimichangas-obsessed ogre liven up the proceedings from time to time. Really, there are some isolated moments that shine. As a whole, however, Shrek Forever After does not work, primarily because it fails to justify itself and it does not offer anything new. The whole reason the filmmakers played the alternate reality card is because there was no place for the story to go in the franchise's reality, which must be a red flag. Moreover, 90% of this conclusion to the franchise is akin to a dream (seems a bit worthless, doesn't it?), and the notion of Shrek growing bored of his life was explored in Shrek the Third.
The writers (Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke) simply lack the creative spark that made the first movie so successful, and newcomer Mike Mitchell lacks the deft directorial touch of Andrew Adamson (director of the first two Shrek movies). What started as an original, invigorating fairytale parody has simply transformed into something different; an adventure which has no reason to exist under the Shrek banner. What's most unfortunate is that Shrek Forever After seems predominantly geared towards the little kids more than any other demographic, whereas the original Shrek appealed to young & old. While the idea of Shrek getting fed up with the domestic life raises familiar points for adults, from frame one it's obvious where the film is headed: the well-worn "be grateful for what you have" lesson. And what of the animation? It's as perfect as it needs to be to retain the intended atmosphere. This is also the first Shrek movie to be available in 3-D, but it's a very perfunctory application. There's nothing glaringly wrong with the 3-D effects, but there is nothing right with them either; the added value is minimal. It's not worth the surcharge, as it does not enhance the experience in any effective or note-worthy way.
Naturally, there is plenty of time allotted to Fiona, Donkey and Puss in their alternate reality forms, the most amusing of which finds Puss in a state of kitty obesity. Antonio Banderas steals the show as Puss in Boots, of course, and provides a few big laughs. Eddie Murphy as Donkey, meanwhile, is the same buffoon he's been since the first film, yet the character is still fun. Mike Myers is fine as Shrek, but he's no longer a standout due to the scripting, while Cameron Diaz seemed to have seriously phoned in her performance as Fiona. Whether it's due to fatigue, general disinterest or poor acting, Diaz sounds irretrievably bored. On the other hand, Walt Dohrn - a writer and storyboard artist - is a terrific Rumpelstiltskin.
Perhaps it was unreasonable to expect the Shrek sequels to recapture the magic of the original. After all, the filmmakers certainly never seemed to think it was a priority. Look, it's not that Shrek Forever After is a bad movie; it just didn't need to be made. The original Shrek had something to say and a story to tell, whereas this fourth movie feels like an excuse to revisit the franchise for extra bucks. Still, at least Shrek Forever After ends the series on a better than expected note. It could have been far worse. And let's face it, kids will most likely enjoy this feature because it's good enough by their standards.
6.0/10
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