FILM REVIEW
06/12/10 (LONDON) Joel Meadows
Shrek Forever After
Director: Mike Mitchell
Voices: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas
Studio: Dreamworks
It’s staggering to think that the first Shrek movie was a whole decade ago. It’s been a phenomena that refuses to die. Shrek Forever After is the fourth, and promised to be the last, in the green ogre’s animated franchise. The series has adhered to the law of diminishing returns: the first one was fun, the second film was slightly less fun and the third one was rather dull. So expectations were pretty low when I went to see this at a press screening at the Empire Leicester Square, probably London’s nicest cinema, on a Sunday morning.
The filmmakers have done a reboot of sorts here with the mcguffin of Shrek Forever After asking what would happen to this world if Shrek had never rescued and married Princess Fiona. It’s a smart but entertaining conceit, showing us a world ruled by the poisonous Rumpelstiltskin where ogres operate a resistance against the tyrant’s iron fist. It also gives them the chance to turn the status quo on its head and reintroduce the relationships between Shrek and supporting characters Puss in Boots, here a very tubby house cat and the pet of Princess Fiona, and Donkey. Rumpelstiltskin has an army of witches to keep the population in check. It makes it all a little more entertaining than its most recent predecessor, but it also makes you realise that the whole concept has run its course.
In terms of the animation, the quality is great as you’d expect and it never outstays its welcome. Of course, it’s showing in 3-D but this doesn’t add a great deal to proceedings. Its running time is around the 80 minute mark and the voice talent are enjoyable as ever. Shrek Forever After is a decent wrap up to 10 years of Shrek on screen and as I write this review, the box office has reflected this with its takings currently at $146 million just in the US. Let’s hope that they leave the characters alone now…