Shrek Forever After

[Dragonfire]

While I have enjoyed the Shrek movies, they aren't my favorites.  The movies are entertaining, but no where near as good as the Pixar movies.  I still think Monsters, Inc. should have gotten the Oscar instead of Shrek.  Anyway, I did still want to see Shrek Forever After and I decided to go Friday to the first 3D showing.  There weren't as many people there as I had thought there might be...no where near what was at Iron Man 2. 

The plot makes an attempt to me original by having Shrek agree to a deal with Rumpelstiltskin that will allow him to feel like a real ogre for a day.  He just has to give up a day in return..and that is where everything goes wrong.  Shrek has fun at first running around scaring people before he realizes that things are really messed up in Far Far Away.  Rumpelstiltskin is King and he has the witches working for him, hunting ogres.  No one, not even Fiona, knows Shrek.  Once he realizes just how bad the situation is, he has to try to figure out a way to get his life back. 

At first glance, the deal with Rumpelstiltskin is original, though after thinking about it more, it doesn't seem that way anymore.  A lot of movies and even television shows have had a character have some sort of crisis or breakdown after marriage, so Shrek wanting to be a real ogre again is really nothing more than that.  What really pushes him to the brink is how most days with Fiona and the kids are the same.  The different version of Far Far Away is interesting, though it does lead to situations that are similar to things that have happened before.  Shrek and Donkey have to meet again..and Shrek and Puss.  Shrek goes to the castle where Fiona was locked up again.  Dragon is shown again as a monster who wants to eat all living things.  I had forgotten about this before, but she is dealt with in a somewhat similar manner with chains again as well.  The more I think about things, the more similarities I see to the previous movies, especially the first one.  Shrek already had to face potentially losing Fiona in the second movie..and here it is again.  The final scene is a recreation of the final scene from the first movie, complete with the same song, though it is sung by someone else.  Maybe this was intended to sort of bookend the series, but I think more originality would have been better.  The movie is still entertaining, but some people will have more issues with all the similarities.

Much of the humor is silly and some of is gross again.  Things are funny, but the movie isn't as funny as the first two movies.  I didn't notice pop culture references like were used in the first two movies especially.  Those did get a bit over used at times, but they did add to the humor, so a few could have worked.  Music isn't used like it was in the first movies.  There are only a few short spots that feature music, and none work as well as what was done with the first two movies. 

The animation was done very well, though I think Pixar is better.  I do think the movement of Fiona's hair looks better.  Most of the 3D is more subtle, though it does stand out in some scenes.  The movie beings by showing a storybook - another similarity to the first movie, complete with pages being ripped out while a character is heard reading the story.  The book seems to float right off the screen and across the theater until it almost smacked me in the face.  That image was done very well.  When the credits begin, the images sort of serve as a recap of the previous movies.  It seems like that should have been done at the beginning instead.  More is shown from the first two movies and just a few basic things from the third are shown.  It does seem like someone decided to try to ...forget about certain parts of that movie.

I think the returning characters are basically the same as they have been.  The alternate versions of the characters are a bit different, but there isn't much to the development of them.  Some of the supporting characters, like Gingy, are barely in the movie.  Some others aren't back at all.  There isn't even a mention of Artie from the third movie. 

Even though I do think this movie has issues, I was still able to enjoy it as a fun, entertaining movie.  I can see why some people would be more disappointed with it though, especially since I have remembered a few more ..issues since first seeing the movie.  I also understand why the movie isn't doing as well as predicted for the weekend.  I think people who were disappointed by the third movie are being more wary of this one.  I do think Shrek Forever After is better than the third movie, but not quite as good as the first two movies.

I did get a review posted on Epinions.  I would have gone with 3.5 stars there if I had the option..since I didn't, I decided to round up to 4.  So I'll use 4 here too.



Here's the link if anyone would like to take a look.

Shrek Forever After

[Critter]

This is what annoys me about DreamWorks. They do have the ability to create good films. This has been proven with the the original Shrek, and even Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon. Instead of creating great new fresh ideas though they keep riding this Shrek train that really was worn out after the first one, the second film did have it's merits but had nothing on the first, and the third was truely horrible.
I haven't seen this yet but I will probably wait for DVD. And now I hear they are even making spin-off films for Puss in Boots. DreamWorks just don't know when to quit. They really should take a leaf out of Pixar's book. Instead of trying to make entertaining films with great stories, they often settle with adding in lame kids humour and toilet jokes in many of their films. Not a good way to be taken seriously, especially with rivals as good as Pixar.
As I said though I don't dislike all of their films, just most of their computer animated ones. They had some great films going when they were still a traditional animation company. It seems their technology got better but their ability to tell a story started to diminish.

[Dragonfire]

Exactly.  It is like they want are just focused on dazzling the audience with the computer animation...ooo look how pretty this is and to hell with the story.  Just throw in some stupid, gross humor and the kids will be happy.  DreamWorks has rushed some movies out before..they rushed to get Madagascar out before The Wild, a much better movie all around. 

Like you said DreamWorks has shown that they can do better movies, like Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon - both much better than Shrek Forever After.  But when it comes to Shrek in general, it seems like they just see dollar signs.  Just throw something together with Shrek, and people will flock to the theater.  It worked with the third movie, but it doesn't seem to be working for this one.  I think some backlash is going on because of how much so many disliked the last movie and more people are staying away to wait for the DVD.  The Shrek money train may have derailed.  If they would have just put thought and care into the stories, they could have had more successful Shrek movies. 

DreamWorks has always struggled with story in my opinion.  They need to start putting more care into creating the stories, which will make their movies much better overall.  Someone there needs to realize that story is the most important part to making a good movie, not just cool looking computer animation.  Even with how this one isn't doing as well so far, I still wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they try to do at least one more Shrek movie in addition to the Puss in Boots movie.  Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if Donkey and Gingy get their own movies too.

I do think this movie is entertaining...it just could have been so much better.

[Achim]

Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if Donkey and Gingy get their own movies too.

Donkey usually annoys me in a Eddie-Murphy-kind-of-way, but Gingy is my favorite character!

[Dragonfire]

Donkey can be annoying sometimes...Murphy does go a bit...overboard with the voice at times.  Gingy is cute.

That reminds me.  I saw a bit of an interview once..I think when the third movie came out and Murphy was kind of ...irritated that Puss is getting a movie but Donkey isn't.  The Puss movie was announced even before Shrek the Third came out.  I can't remember what show the interview was on though.

[Achim]

I saw a bit of an interview once..I think when the third movie came out and Murphy was kind of ...irritated that Puss is getting a movie but Donkey isn't.

He really couldn't see it...? Strange. I guess is ego went a bit high there

[Dragonfire]

Yup.  I do think he has a bit of an ...ego issue at times.

After Dreamgirls, he was nominated for all kinds of awards and won several of them.  He was nominated for the Oscar and I think he was considered the front runner at first.  Then Norbit came out and some people started speculating that he might not get the Oscar after all.  When he lost the Oscar, I think he did have a ..ticked off look on his face.  And I read that as soon as he lost, he left.  He really was good in Dreamgirls, but the timing of the release of Norbit may have hurt him.  To go from such a great performance to that stinking pile of crap...well.  It couldn't have helped.

[Critter]

Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if Donkey and Gingy get their own movies too.

Donkey usually annoys me in a Eddie-Murphy-kind-of-way, but Gingy is my favorite character!

Careful guys, don't go speaking about Donkey and Gingy spin-offs in public! Next minute DreamWorks will get wind of it and they will be making films for every single induvidual character in the films.

Let's just hope they don't screw up Kung Fu Panda 2...

[Jon]

Shrek 2 had nothing on the first?  I loved Shrek 2 and while the fairy tale aspects were not as focused as the first one, it was clear they had grown in confidence for the gags. I think Shrek 2 is possibly the funniest thing I ever saw in a cinema. This is where Puss was introduced for a start!

[Critter]

Now now, I didn't say it wasn't without its merits, I just didn't personally like it as much as the first. And the third was so bad that it unfortunatly made me angry at the whole franchise.

[Dragonfire]

I really enjoyed Shrek 2.  The pop culture references may have gone a bit over board, but the movie was still very funny and entertaining overall.  Definitely better than the third movie and the newest one.

The movie about Puss could be ok...it depends on how they deal with everything and how much attention the story gets.