By Kerryn Le Cordeur
Nine years after the original was released, the fourth instalment in the
Shrek series,
Shrek Forever After hits the South African cinema circuit in 3D on 16 July. Directed by Mike Mitchell, it begins where
Shrek the Third left off – Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are living in wedded bliss in their swamp with their three children, Fergus; Farkle; and Felicia. But the routine and domesticity of his new life soon bores Shrek, who begins to yearn for the days when the villagers feared him instead of asking him to autograph their pitchforks.
After an outburst at his birthday party, where his guests cheer at his once-feared ogre’s roar, Shrek is talked into signing a pact with the devious Rumpelstiltskin, who has been after the Far Far Away throne ever since Fiona was locked up in the tower (think back to the first movie). This gives Shrek one day as a real ogre, away from his duties as husband; father; and ‘good guy’, in exchange for a day from his past. However, he soon realises that Rumpelstiltskin has a hidden agenda as the ‘curly-toed weirdo’ elects to strip him of the day he was born, and he is plunged into a twisted version of Far Far Away, where Rumpelstiltskin is king; ogres are hunted; and Fiona and his best friends, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas), have no idea who he is. The movie sees Shrek trying to undo the pact to save his friends; restore his world; and reclaim his ‘one true love’.
The animation in
Shrek Forever After is as flawless as its predecessors, so much so that you find yourself forgetting that you aren’t watching live action. There’s plenty of adventure and fantasy for the whole family to enjoy, too. I also found myself giggling at the choice of music, such as The Carpenters’
Top of the World for Shrek’s first venture back into a world where he is feared by the villagers. However, the movie lacks the memorable lines (bar Puss In Boots telling Donkey he’s ‘ri-donk-ulous’) and music that made the first and second installments so successful, and there are several moments where the line or situation is meant to be funny, but the humour just doesn’t come across – even to the many children in the cinema with me. It seems we all need a lot more than a singing, wise-cracking donkey; a doe-eyed cat; or a belching ogre to make us laugh after seeing the same antics for the past decade. The plot is also predictable from the word ‘go’, with no significant twists such as that seen in the first movie when ‘true love’s form’ turned out to be that of an ogre and not a human for Fiona.
I have no doubt that the
Shrek fans will flock to see
Shrek Forever After, and they will most likely enjoy it, too. In fact, my partner commented that he enjoyed it simply “because it was
Shrek.” But I hope that this is the end of the series, so that we can all look back in fondness at the quirky story of the loveable green ogre and his friends, rather than flogging a dead… ahem… Donkey, until the magic is gone and
Shrek becomes just another fairytale. Two-and-a-half stars for this one.