Shrek 4 : Il était une fin

Well it was bound to happen, most animation saga's or trilogy's end eventually and some better than others. With Shrek Forever After this is the case, still packed full of gags, funny moments and hilarious one liners its a good end to a fun enjoyable franchise. We all hoped it would also end this way, in a positive way as the last 11 years has been Shrek sequels some better than others. With this final adventure, old characters are reunited and new ones enter the fray.

Plus we also get a fresh new setting for this latest and final tale, some good dialogue too and of course improved animation. Considering this was always gonna go up against Toy Story 3, we knew it would be a close fight for the throne of the summer blockbuster. Otherwise, however Shrek Forever After has done a good job of grabbing it for me until I see Toy Story 3, until then I believe this is the best animation summer blockbuster of the year.

If you want quick gags, laughs and family fun Shrek Forever After is for you and also for fans of the franchise.

"Shrek Forever After" is a surprisingly good film. Though it is not as great as "Shrek" or "Shrek 2" it is a HUGE improvement over "Shrek the Third." The movie helped the franchise gain some of its heart back that was lacking in the third film and had some terrific action scenes. The first time I saw it I didn't think it was very funny, but when I went back to see it a second time I was laughing plenty of times. The film also teaches an important lesson that if you have a good life you should not give it up for anything. If Shrek had never met Fiona or any of his friends they all would have had rough lives. Overall, the movie is a great conclusion to the film series.

The first Shrek was funny and original, and one of my favourites of its year. The first sequel was just as delightful and as charming, and while the third film wasn't as bad as I thought it would be it did suffer from being too tired and contrived. Shrek Forever After is an improvement on Shrek the Third while lacking the charm, heart and magic that was there clearly in the first two.

Thankfully, the story is not as contrived as it was in the third film. I loved the idea and it did start off well, the "what would life be like if Shrek had never existed?" reminded me of one of my all-time favourites, It's a Wonderful Life. However, in the middle act it did have its predictable parts. The pace sags a bit too in the middle act particularly when there are parts that don't have as much humour as I would have liked. Also, while the animation was very good on the whole, I did feel that Rumplestiltskin's facial expressions were occasionally overdone and forced.

Criticisms aside, the animation is very good, very colourful and lively with some nice backgrounds. The soundtrack is also great, while the jokes are fresher and wittier than the last one, Donkey getting the best of them. The characters are still likable, the pace is in general snappy and the writing is amusing. The voice acting is also top notch, not only from Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz who are rock-solid but especially from Eddie Murphy who seamlessly comes very close to stealing the film while Antonio Banderas makes a welcome return as Puss.

Overall, not a classic but an improvement and an entertaining film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

On the day that Shrek rescued the cursed Princess Fiona from the tower where she was kept prisoner of the dragon, her parents King Harold and the Queen were ready to sign a contract with the cunning Rumpelstiltskin delivering the kingdom Far Far Away to him. On the present days, Shrek feels bored with Fiona, his family and friends and near a breakdown, and he misses the years when he was a terrifying ogre. Rumpelstiltskin overhears a discussion between Shrek and Fiona and meets Shrek, offering a deal to make he feels a frightening ogre again. In return, Shrek should deliver one day of his childhood to Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek is lured and Far Far Away is distorted under the reign of the tricky Rumpelstiltskin. Now Shrek misses his family and friends and has to win Fiona's heart again to save Far Far Away, his friends and himself.

I have just watched "Shrek Forever After" and my expectations were very low, based on the IMDb user's rating and a couple of reviews that I had glanced. However I liked this underrated animation a lot, which has a good story with many hilarious moments. Once again, Donkey "steals the movie" and this character has been for years the best role of the wasted Eddy Murphy. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Shrek para Sempre" ("Shrek Forever After")

The final chapter in the SHREK series recalls that familiar term "Be careful what you with for". I too was careful at what I wished SHREK FOREVER AFTER would be. After the disappointing SHREK THE THIRD, the bar isn't set high for this supposedly final chapter. It's never going to compare with the superior first two, but if Dreamworks Animation really wanted to conclude their beloved property with this, they might as well give it all that it has. SHREK FOREVER AFTER, while certainly more elaborate than its immediate predecessor, is not the most original of the series, but if this is really a happily ever after for Shrek, at least he went out on a good note rather than a disappointing one.

The story is basically IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE with Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) trading places with George Bailey. Shrek's life couldn't be better: he has his loving wife Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) and three kids, best buddies Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss (Antonio Banderas) are current visitors, he's got his swamp back, and above all his days as the flesh-eating ogre are way behind him. But everyday of the same day-to-day rituals can get too routine for our big green ogre. If only he could wish he could be that flesh-eating ogre again! His wish is granted when he meets the crafty Rumpelstiltskin (voiced by Walt Dohrn), but it at a terrible catch. Before you can say "Happily Ever After no more!", Shrek is trapped in a depressing alternate universe where he was never born and none of his pals know who he is.

The real treat of the premise of FOREVER AFTER is that it gives us a chance to warm up with these characters again and recall why we loved them in the first place, and then find out a few new reasons to like them all over again. We already know these characters and we have met them before, and this might just serve as a reunion after the occasional slog of the previous follow-up. Unlike its immediate predecessor as well, this one actual has a storyline instead of the simple premise to be used to hang pop culture reference and in-jokes. It's not a great storyline and certainly not anything original, but it's a step on the right direction. Director Mike Mitchell has at least put Shrek right back on track, and not a moment too soon. If this is really the series' finale, the creators have at least done a credible job at reminding us of the appeal that these characters. In a way, SHREK FOREVER AFTER is a satisfying conclusion, if not a grand one.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.