The jolly green ogre is back, and this time in 3D! Though not as fun and inventive as the first movie, which dazzled us with its smart, sassy humour, the fourth instalment of the successful franchise is suitably thrilling and slyly referential to keep all age groups amused.
At the end of the underwhelming Shrek, the Third Arthur was ruling the kingdom of Far, Far, Away while Shrek and Fiona settled in their swamp with their little ogre babies. In Shrek Forever After , in the daily routine of changing nappies, burping babies and signing pitchforks, Shrek misses his care-free bachelor days when he was a ‘real ogre', and villagers were frightened of him instead of asking him to do his ogre roar for their amusement.
A grumpy Shrek signs a deal with conniving Rumplestilskin where he can go back to the way things were for a day. The deal, like all deals with Rumplestilskin, is crooked, and Shrek finds himself in an alternate universe where ogres are hunted, Rumplestilskin is king, Fiona is still under the curse and leading a resistance movement, Gingy is a gladiator fighting animal crackers, Puss in Boots is fat, and Donkey is a pack animal who doesn't know Shrek.
Fiona and Shrek have to share true love's kiss to set things right — a tall order considering Fiona is a warrior princess and has no time for love. All comes well in a cheery explosion of fairy tale references, nifty 3D, swooping dragons, whirling witches, a piper with a mean flute, and a bunch of jolly green giants.
The voice cast from the earlier movies, Mike Meyers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Antonio Banderas (Puss), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian) and John Cleese (King Harold) is competent. Rumplestilskin (Walt Dohrn) is properly smarmy with his multi-hued wigs for different occasions. The animation is dazzling, and the 3D works, with witches zooming about smartly on their broomsticks and the dragon breathing fire most appropriately.
Last year DreamWorks Animation announced that Shrek 5 has been scrapped, and this will be the final chapter in the adventures of Shrek and cohorts. Shrek Forever After is a fairly amusing way to say goodbye to the ogre, who gave us a whole new way of looking at fairy tales — remember his super inventive candle? What a hoot!
Genre: Animation, adventure
Voice cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas
Director: Mike Mitchell
Storyline: Shrek exists in an alternate universe after signing away his life to
Rumplestilskin. To make things right, he needs to share true love's kiss with Fiona
Bottomline: A fair way to spend an evening
