Shrek Forever After: (May 21, 2010): PG
Distributor: Paramount Pictures (Dreamworks Animation)
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $70,838,207
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $237,235,936
Gross Revenue: $678,086,512
Budget: $165 million
Director: Mike Mitchell
Even though it takes a lot to prevent me from seeing a popular movie, I confess that I have grown rather tired with the Shrek franchise over the years. The first Shrek was so refreshing, and Shrek 2 was a pleasant surprise, but Shrek the Third was disappointing and showed signs of the series wearing out, so needless to say that I initially saw this newest installment as nothing more than the big studios milking a dead cow.
Beyond the standard previews, it was relatively obvious that Shrek Forever After would do some serious damage at the box office. First and foremost, it’s the first movie of the summer to appeal directly to young children, it’s marketed as the final film of a hugely successful franchise, it’s in 3-D, and it has the promotional deal with McDonalds, not only Happy Meals, but also collector glasses that will achieve monumental reach and exposure for the film. Now, it would normally be a complete marketing and logistical nightmare when McDonald’s had to recall the promotional glasses because it was discovered that toxic materials were present. No doubt that Dreamworks and Paramount will have to do some damage control, but there is no real threat to the movie box-office because of negative customer associations, and that is simply because the recall occurred after release and after the movie made most of its money. Shrek has been #1 at the box-office for 3 weeks, beating Sex and the City 2, Prince of Persia, Get Him to the Greek, and Killers. It’s already more than covered its production budget, and any slowdown that could be expected with both A-Team and Karate Kid coming out this weekend will not be damning.
Now, for the review…I was shocked that I actually enjoyed Shrek Forever After. The cast favorites are all back, Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), and where lately the series has relied on a tiring amount of characters and jokes that simply try too hard, one after the other, this latest installment seems to go back to the spirit of the original and rely on an engaging story story. When we find Shrek, he is settling into his new family role, but is growing tired of not feeling like a “real ogre” anymore. So, Shrek makes a deal with the magical Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohm), who offers Shrek one day as a real ogre in exchange for one day from Shrek’s childhood. Rumpelstiltskin actually holds a grudge against Shrek, who ruined his plans to take over the kingdom of Far Far Away years ago, and ends up taking the day that Shrek was born. As a result, Shrek is transported to an alternate universe where he has never existed, Fiona is a warrior fugitive, Donkey has no memory of Shrek, Puss in Boots is comically obese, and Rumpelstiltskin is the King of Far Far Away. In true fairy-tale fashion, Shrek has 24-hours to undue the curse by sharing love’s first kiss.
As I said before, Shrek Forever After focuses more on the central characters, significantly reducing the roles of supporting characters that have congested the earlier sequels. Antonio Banderas as a fat Puss in Boots is nothing short of hysterical. Don’t worry, Big Bad Wolf, Pinocchio, Gingerbread Man, and the Three Blind Mice are around enough to do the characters justice. The real key to the film is the villain of Rumpelstiltskin, voiced by Walt Dohrn. I remember the controversy surrounding Dohrn’s casting, considering that it was considered strange to cast a man who operates primarily as an animator and writer rather than an established actor as the main villain (as the Shrek series has often boasted A-list voice talent). Despite these concerns, Dohrn does a great job as an engaging and humorous villain, a significant upgrade from Shrek the Third’s Prince Charming. The film also has multiple references to the first film, serving as a reminder of why we all loved Shrek in the first place. Given that this is the last film in the series, there is plenty of heart and humor here to bid farewell to the beloved green ogre. Regardless of what you thought of Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, if you were a fan of the original, you owe it to yourself to see Shrek Forever After.
Overall Recommendation: High
