5/23/09

Movie Review

Shrek Forever After 

      One of the tag lines being used to promote Shrek Forever After is, “What the Shrek Just Happened.” That’s how I felt after watching the disappointing Shrek the Third (2007). The tag line is three years too late. So due to the fact that I was disappointed with Shrek the third, I entered Shrek Forever After, the last movie of the franchise with no expectations.

      The movie begins with Shrek tired of living the domesticated family life longing for the days when he was an ogre pillaging the people of Far Far Away. Shrek makes a deal with the dreaded Rumplestiltskin allowing him one day to be a feared ogre. Unfortunately for Shrek, Rumplestilskin’s deals are shady as he ends up taking one of Shrek’s days in return, that being his birthday. This catapults Shrek into an alternate reality in which Donkey does not know him, Fiona is the leader of an ogre revolt, and Puss in Boots is three times his original weight.  Shrek now must do his best to undo the deal he made with Rumplestiltskin while realizing what he had lost.

       All in all, I have to say that Shrek Forever after was a good movie, not the greatest, but a step above Shrek The Third. The message of the movie was important as Shrek had to lose everything in order to realize what he had including loving family and friends.

      What I didn’t like about the movie is that I got the sense that it dragged and, could not wait until it finished. The movie also continued to depend on the same tired gags from the original three. Rumplestiltskin was rather annoying as a villain, and I was very disappointed with the Pied Piper. All the power and he makes characters dance. What kept me interested in Shrek Puss in Boots the best character in the series. It seems Antonio Banderas really enjoyed doing voice overs for the character and it comes across well on screen.  Another complaint was the scenery. 3-d added nothing to the movie. I feel that the reason that the movie was converted to 3-d was that people who were disappointed with the third movie in the franchise were not going to see the fourth one.

      So the Shrek Franchise ended on an ok note, not great, but ok. I am still going to buy the boxed set when it comes out. Next up is Puss in Boots which comes out in 2011.

      On a side note I went to see Shrek Forever After at the Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas. Now I know why I don’t go there. During the final battle scenes, some patron in the front was taking pictures of the movie with his cell phone camera. You could literally see the silver flashes magnified by the 3-D glasses. He was finally told to cut it out. Please, do not be rude at the movie theaters. Do not ruin other people’s movie going experience. For comments e-mail me at espevi2003@hotmail.com 

      Movie Grade = B