Billions of dollars, critical acclaim, a Christmas special… ‘Shrek’ has been the banner franchise of Dreamworks Animation for some time now, combining child-pleasing antics with parent friendly humour. The studio announced this is the last movie, but can they go out on a high after the mediocre ‘Shrek The Third’?
Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) finds himself in his own happy ending- loving wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz), three kids, and best friend Donkey (Eddie Murphy) continually popping over uninvited. The thing is, Shrek is bored, and misses the days of being feared as an ogre rather than loved as a local celebrity. So he does a deal with Rumpstiltskin (Walt Dohrm) to have ‘one day as an Ogre’. Small print in the contract means he is transported to a world where he is never born, and nothing is what it seems. He must change things back before time runs out, but must convince a very different Donkey and Fiona that this is not the way it should end.
The script is a lot more driven- whereas ‘…The Third’ tried to turn every scene into a sketch; this is more about having fun alongside the protagonists, with classy humour spread throughout. Luckily the previous movies were loaded with set pieces, so the ‘made for 3D’ action sequences (usually involving something flying into the camera for no reason) don’t look as out of place as in many ‘3D’ conversions. Indeed, one can enjoy the film just as much as a 2D movie, which is always a mark of quality.
All four main voice actors know their places, although Myers might be a little worried for his future considering his only non-Shrek film of recent years (‘The Love Guru’) was considered one of the worst of all time by many. Murphy is always a delight as Donkey- a reminder of how funny he can be. Dohrm, really not an experienced performer (normally an animation writer and director) adds to the lineage of great villains, playing the man with the ultimate Napoleon complex with humour and energy.
Is this the best of the franchise? No, that honour probably goes to the second film (although the first was groundbreaking and so deserves consideration). It is however an apt ending, taking us on an adventure without attempting to mess with the formula too much. Great fun for young and old alike, and if it is indeed ‘all ogre’ then there are worst notes to go out on.
Shrek Forever After is released on 2 July.
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