It’s been nine years since the story of Shrek began in the land of Far Far Away. The first three films enjoyed fairy tale success, but sadly Shrek Forever After doesn’t provide the fairy tale ending to the franchise. It feels tired and uninspired. Even the use of 3-D fails to mask its shortcomings. For a studio to pull the plug on what has been one of the most successful movie franchises in history, before the film’s release, suggests even they knew their cash cow was running out of milk.
Measured against the majority of animated releases, Shrek Forever After can confidently hold its own, but having set such high standards with the first three Shrek films, it pales in comparison. The sense of complacency is even reflected in the storyline, which begins with the once fearsome Shrek (Mike Myers) mourning the fact that, with a wife and three kids, his life has become very domesticated and he is no longer feared. “I used to be an ogre, but now I’m just a jolly green joke.”
Sadly the joke isn’t quite as funny any more. It all feels too familiar. The motormouth Donkey (Eddie Murphy) is still the conduit for much of the humour, along with Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), who is not looking quite so dashing this time round having clearly been enjoying a little too much of the good life. There is one new character, Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who is the film’s villain. Having been foiled first time around in his attempt to get the King and Queen of Far Far Away to sign over their land in exchange for finding a suitor for their daughter Fiona (Cameron Diaz), he is intent on working his mischief on Shrek who it was who rescued Fiona.
When Shrek declares, “I want to go back to how things were and people were scared of me,” Rumpelstiltskin offers him the chance to do just that in exchange for giving up a day from his past. The day the malevolent Rumpelstiltskin chooses is the day Shrek was born. So, in a familiar plot used most memorably in It’s a Wonderful Life, or in what Rumpelstiltskin calls a “metaphysical paradox”, Shrek gets to see how the world would be had he not been born.
A world without Shrek would certainly have been a duller place. Mike Myers has helped make the very green and very Scottish ogre so lovable and there’s still much here to remind you of why. The relationships between all the main characters is one that has evolved over time, to the point now where they feel like old friends. and ones who will be missed. But better that than outstaying their welcome. Now we get to revisit them on DVD happily ever after.
Kevin Murphy
