Shrek Forever After (2010)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Absolutely brilliant

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Concluding my review of "Shrek the Third", I wondered what was awaiting the green ogre for its fourth adventure. After meeting his true love, her parents, getting ready for and having children, a fourth part could only let me expect something on the level of a midlife crisis. Granted the animators have enough imagination to create something satisfying, if not overwhelming, I still didn't think I would get so close.In "Forever After", Shrek is in the same state we left him at the end of the third opus, enjoying his role as a father, teaching his triplets how to properly burp, waving at the tourists who visit the swamp and inviting Donkey, his hybrid kids, and Puss to tell their adventures' stories. But while his life seems to be governed by the same routine, his enthusiasm slowly fades out, he starts to question the meaning of his life, remembering the time when he was a 'wanted' ogre, not a local joke, and when he was alone and free, basically, being the Shrek we meet one decade before. In a way, he echoes the sentiment of some angry fans who miss the good old Shrek.That self-questioning Shrek reflects the way his long journey has transformed him on the surface, but not much in reality, and that's the closer you can get to a midlife crisis in animation's language. And as predictable as this premise sounds, it was perhaps the best one to conclude the monster's existential journey. In the first, he had to to discover his value as a person, as someone capable to love and be loved, and Fiona was the key to this discovery. In the second, he had to learn to love himself. In the third one, , he had to accept to be a father, to engage in a serious relationship. But this issue had less to do with his status as an ogre and this is why I failed to connect it with the previous opuses and I don't think the characters of Charming or Arthur were worthy additions.But in the fourth, we touch the essence of Shrek's personality: being an ogre, scaring people and children, living alone in a remote place, enjoying mud bath and not roaring because a chubby creepy kid asks you to do so (I admit that "do the roar" line stuck in my mind and became an instant favorite from the whole franchise). The two middle films questioned the 'happily ever after' assumption but with too mature issues (responsibility, family etc.) Now, an ogre who'd love to be an ogre again, that's the kind of stuff even a kid can get and enjoy, I think it was the only one that could have a fourth film work especially when it tells you that it is the final chapter, so we enjoy it even more because we know this is the last time we see this gallery of characters who visited us every three years, as it became a sort of tradition.Of course, now that Shrek has kids and all must end well that ends well, we know the journey must end with Shrek realizing how lucky he is, and to get the point, he must lose first what he took for granted and this is where the villain Rumplestitk… let's just call him Rumple, makes his entrance. Rumple makes a Faustian deal with Shrek: he gets one day where he is unknown and can scare people while Rumple can take any day of Shrek's life. The problem is that ever since "Back to the Future", we know that Shrek is signing his own death warrant through this contract. And while Shrek isn't the brightest bulb, it's a bit frustrating not to see the scam.So what must happen happens, he enjoys a day of anonymity before realizing that life has changed for worse… Biff Tannen, I mean Rumple became the king of Far Far Away. Alternate reality, that was the trick, how to make new stuff with old one. Shrek must conquer back Fiona's heart to cancel the curse (no curse without an antidote). But that's not as easy as it looks, Fiona became the leader of a group of revolutionary ogres, Donkey works for the witches who are to Rumple what the hyenas were to Scar, and the purpose of the whole second act (the less exciting one) is to allow Fiona to fall again in love with Shrek, so that Shrek can celebrate Christmas with his friends, and "gives his petals back to Zuzu".The second act left me a bit cold, I liked the way the usual characters behaved differently by still being true to their nature (fat Puss in Boots was fun to some extent), but it's only the third act that brings all the emotionality, the ending that the third one needed to have. I won't spoil the final lines, but they were so beautiful I wished no one would speak after that, and no one did. It was also a great nod to the first film to have "I'm a Believer' concluding the last one, as to remind us of this 2001 year where Shrek became a cultural phenomenon, an achievement from a non-Disney character.And it's a deserved reputation because there's a Shrek in all of us, we all have personal issues, we all wish to be different, taller, skinnier, and we all question our past. I myself spend my life wishing I hadn't made this or that mistake, but then I realize that all my mistakes, one leading to another, made me meet my wife and have a beautiful daughter. So it was all worth it. I don't know if I'll live happily ever after that, but it just allows me to look forward to the future with sheer optimism.And now that Shrek has learned the lesson, we can wish him to live happily ever after, once and for all.

After the third installment that just wasn't nearly good as the first 2. Now comes a 4th installment that doesn't add much to the franchise, despite it being the final chapter in the Shrek story. There is no charm or wits to this one. It's like they rand out of ideas and now resorting to the what if scenario. They just don't show the after after forever ever after for a reason. I know it tries to delve into the reality of these stories, but this just falls flat. I was just bored with this one. It's like the failed 3rd installment, they just tried to make it up and finish the story. This is a franchise that had a strong start and just went downhill from there. It's another watchable CGI animated movie, but easily forgettable. And lacked the charm and substance to make it memorable. It's a movie worth watching to finish up the journey though, even if it ends weak. Well at least they tried to finish with at least something somewhat passable. I give this movie a 6 and that is being generous. It doesn't necessarily completely end with a whimper, but it came pretty darn close to that travesty.6/10

Shrek was a giant hit back in 2001, pleasing kids and adults with its parody of fairy tales. It had great 3D animation for the time and even had a little heart. Shrek 2 is one of the few animated sequels to be better than the first, actually developing the characters instead of simplifying them. It has funnier jokes, a larger scope, and genuine suspense.Me, my sister, and my mother went to both Shrek 3 and 4 in the theater. For a long time, Shrek 2 was one of our favorite family movies. Even 7 years ago, we realized that Shrek 3 was a clunker. We fooled ourselves into seeing Shrek 4, but alas, the series was essentially dead.The best part about the first two films were the character's relationships. They defied expectations, and somehow made the grouchy Shrek and annoying Donkey funny and lovable. You get to see some buildup in Shrek and Fiona's relationship, as well as their personal conflicts and tension with Fiona's royal family. Shrek 3 dropped the ball on the humor and character development, and Shrek 4 certainly didn't catch it.By being a time travel movie, all the development in the previous films is essentially thrown away. Shrek no longer has a personal problem to overcome. His biggest transgression is wishing for a day's vacation. That's it. If it weren't for the villain, his life would be fine and he'd be a well-balanced ogre.Its just an adventure movie that isn't particularly fascinating, and not even that funny. Most ironically, Shrek and Fiona's relationship has become the very thing the original was satirizing. "True love" isn't built in this film - its simply there, awakened if you play the role of fireman and save your lover's life. In the original, Fiona was shocked that her knight in shining armor was an ogre. They have to spend time together on their journey back to realize their true feelings. In Shrek 2, the Prince Charming is a spoiled, selfish brat, who only wants love to satisfy his own needs. Our lovers get into a big argument, but ultimately show they're willing to make sacrifices for the other's happiness, and make amends. Shrek 4 has none of this depth or awareness, and forgets that love by heroism only exists in fairy tales.Considering the wealth of options out there, there is no reason for you to see Shrek 4. It fails to capture the magic of the first two films, and is overshadowed by dozens of even mediocre animated movies. How the mighty have fallen...

Shrek Forever After (advertised as Shrek: The Final Chapter or Shrek 4) is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated fantasy comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia and on May 21, 2010 in the United States. It was also released in 3D and IMAX 3D formats.Although the film received mixed reviews from critics and opened lower than expected, it remained as the #1 film in the United States and Canada for three consecutive weeks and has grossed a worldwide total of over $752 million, making it a commercial success. Additionally, Shrek Forever After is DreamWorks Animation's second highest-grossing film at the foreign box office surpassed only by Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.[3] It is also the second highest grossing animated film of 2010, behind Toy Story 3.