Shrek Forever After (2010) User Reviews

Decent: not as good as the first two, but better than the third film

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 18 January 2011]

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

Didn't capture the magic of the first two. But better than the 3rd Installment.

[The_Fifth_Echo · 7/10 · 5 May 2010]

I saw "Shrek Forever After" on special screenings and I really hoped it would live up to the first 2 films. But at the end of the day, it wasn't as good or magical. I kind of felt disappointed because even though the Third Installment was bad I was hoping they went back and recognize their mistakes. But this movie does have its strong points, it was quite funny and entertaining. There were moments in there that felt like the first two films, and overall it is a very enjoyable ride that even though it doesn't live quite up to the first two films. It is worth your money just to have fun with it.

7.2/10 I'd recommend people to see this film, but don't go in it with HIGH expectations.

As happily ever after's go, this one ain't half bad.

[vip_ebriega · 7/10 · 11 June 2010]

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.

Shrek 4: A Flawed Comedy but a Perfect Final Chapter

[tripxyde · 7/10 · 20 May 2010]

When I found out that a fourth Shrek movie was being made, it made me frown because it seemed pretty needless, especially that the last movie was such a bore. But then again, if you take the storyline into consideration, this becomes a fitting final chapter to formally close the Shrek series. The movie is originally entitled SHREK FOREVER AFTER, but in other regions of the world including ours, it is entitled SHREK: THE FINAL CHAPTER, so it's obvious.

First we go to the more unpleasant aspects; this movie works more as a fantasy-adventure movie rather than a comedy. That's because the humor factor of Shrek has gone old already. This movie seems to squeeze the very last drop of what is left of the Shrek series' dried out desert of humor. Sure, it may make us give out a chuckle here, a chuckle there, but this Shrek movie cannot make us laugh out loud anymore. When you look back at its title "Shrek the Final Chapter" you would realize that this movie does seem to apologize with the fact that this'll be the last and probably an admission that they could not squeeze any more decent thing out of the Shrek saga after this one; it's a final effort to make one last buck.

On the other hand, Shrek's main story aspect is a little more interesting than its humor. As I said earlier, this movie is better as a fantasy adventure because we do get to see an alternate reality where Shrek is back into being an outcast Ogre and everybody else who was originally part of his circle of friends has not met him yet. Eventually, they get into an adventure wherein he must face a new enemy, a new problem, and he even gets to meet other ogres and an ogre resistance army that pretty much reminded me of Warcraft (the old-school Warcraft 2 to be exact). In this bizarro world, Donkey has not met him, Puss has become obese, and Fiona is the leader of the Ogre resistance. Shrek must go through this alternate universe and survive it before the day passes and a curse will consume him for good. Shrek gets to have some action with a horde of witches and must face the dragon once again. I could not say that the action was impressive but it has its little cool moments. I particularly loved the chain skull weapons that the witches use.

In addition, this movie works also as a family domestic drama where it maturely deals with the simple family issue of boredom and being sick of how repetitious family life can be. I daresay that the film can work as a satire or perhaps a metaphor that some married men can learn from. There is one sequence in the movie that does capture this crisis; I am talking about the scenes where we see Shrek realize that despite the fact that he does live a happy life, it can get pretty dull and annoying at times, but then again that's life.

Perhaps it becomes boring because many of us choose not to grow up; many of us choose to not let go of what our past lives were. That is what happens to Shrek in this movie. To escape the mediocrity of a family life, he wishes to relive the moments when he was still just a normal ogre again. And because of this, he puts his family life in jeopardy. Shrek 4's tale comes full circle in the sense that it questions if Shrek did have a "happily ever after" ending in the past three movies, and puts one last fantastic circumstance to let him live out a reality that this never happened.

And lastly, Shrek 4's main potential lies in its romance. With an alternate reality story, Shrek faces a Fiona that has never met him. Therefore, Shrek must find out some way to make Fiona fall in love with him all over again. If you ask me, the romantic aspect of this movie is as innovative as the first Shrek movie, in ways that it tells mature subject matter in the guise of fantasy. The Fiona of the alternate reality mirrors the plight of women who gave up on romance, and one scene certainly negates the falsity of most fairy tales with a line that goes something like: "a mere kiss does not solve everything" It negates other fantasies like "Sleeping Beauty" or "Snow White" because it destroys the superficial aspect of those obsolete fairy tales with a more realistic approach, because indeed, a kiss is nothing if there is no true love that goes with it. In my opinion, Shrek 4 succeeds in this aspect.

Shrek may not be the best movie this summer, or it might not be the funniest Shrek movie, but it certainly is one that is very rich story-wise. Just as his line in the first movie went "I have layers" and there certainly are deeper layers to this story rather than one that will just make you laugh. Of course, this works out as a great family movie, but it is certainly perfect for couples, most especially married couples, and parents alike. I give SHREK FOREVER AFTER a.k.a. SHREK: THE FINAL CHAPTER a Matinée rating for single serving; and a Full Price rating for family servings.

A Good Fun Fairytale For The Family, and An End To A Saga

[jfcthejock · 7/10 · 9 July 2010]

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 Ever After" ends the franchise with some dignity.

[ScottDMenzel · 7/10 · 10 June 2010]

I really enjoyed the first "Shrek" film back in 2001 and was an even bigger fan of "Shrek 2," which came out just three short years later. Then "Shrek the Third" hit theaters and I couldn't believe what I was watching. Not only did the third film have a horrible story but the charm and wit of all the original characters was gone. I was actually angry that I paid money to see the third film and really didn't want anything to do with the "Shrek" franchise any longer. To my surprise even after hearing nothing but complaints about the third one, the final chapter of the Shrek saga was still being made. When I saw the trailer for "Shrek Ever After" I was less than impressed probably because I was still angry about the last film. Regardless of how I felt as well as many over movie lovers, "Shrek Ever After" was released into theaters just three weeks ago and received average reviews. This past weekend, I decided to go see the film with my girlfriend just to see how the final chapter ends...

"Shrek Ever After" picks up right where "Shrek the Third" left off. Shrek and Fiona are now married with kids. They are the most respected and sought after family of Far Far Away and everyone in town loves them. One day after going through what seems to be a midlife crisis, Shrek becomes flustered and flips out at his kids birthday party. He makes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to give him one day of his life in order for him to feel what it is like to be free again without having kids, a wife, and of course being respected instead of feared. This is where the plot thickens as Rumpelstiltskin tricks Shrek into signing the contract that states he has never been born. The only way to break this contract is to make Fiona, who has no clue who Shrek is, fall in love with him all over again.

As soon as the credits began to roll, my first response was that wasn't too bad. Given the fact that "Shrek the Third" was a slap in the face to the Shrek franchise, I was somewhat impressed with the final entry. I wouldn't say I was blown away with it but it was like a masterpiece compared to the third film. The character Rumpelstiltskin was actually a fun character and I liked his personality. That was one of the main things that really made the film work especially since Prince Charming in the last film was such a boring and uninteresting character. I also thought the whole reliving the earlier chapters of Shrek's life worked well and I liked what they did with Fiona in this film. They made her a much tougher character. Then of course last but not least Puss in Boots, who is the best character in all the films.

Even though I enjoyed this film, I have to admit I am glad this was the final chapter because I can't see this franchise surviving another film. While the storyline about the midlife crisis and appreciating what you have was good especially for this type of film, it just seemed like the writers were pushing it a bit. I don't know exactly why it seemed that way but I guess its just that most of it seemed like more of the same. The charm was there unlike in the third but it wasn't as potent as it was in the original two films. That's probably my main complaint about the film, this felt like a movie that was just made as a good bye to the franchise. It wasn't truly necessary but almost served as an apology for the 3rd film. I loved how they never even addressed the main character from the 3rd film. It was like he never existed, which I have to admit was pretty funny.

In the end, I can't really say anything too harsh about the film. I think kids will like it although it is a bit more dark and depressing than the other chapters. I would say out of all of the films, this one is geared more towards adults than anyone else. The movie was also deeper than all the other entries. It was a decent final film and I applaud the writers and director for trying to redeem the franchise. I wouldn't say its a must own but for those who enjoy these characters and enjoy Shrek as a whole, I recommend seeing the final chapter at least once. Sure its no where near as unique or fun as the original two but if you want to pretend the third film never happened this one would be a good filler for that. It's not on a Pixar level as far as quality goes but in terms of a decent animated flick at the box office, "Shrek Ever After" is a good choice.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Shrek Ever After" is a 7 out of 10. Take the kids, the family or who ever else likes the franchise and just enjoy the simple yet fun final chapter.

An entertaining diversion, even if the series is no longer magical

[Simon_Says_Movies · 6/10 · 21 May 2010]

After three films of diminishing quality, more than anything, Shrek Forever After begs the obvious question: why? Unfortunately the answer is also all too obvious with the franchise having grossed one billion dollars domestically and oodles more overseas. For what it's worth, this instalment is better than the last but fails to hold a candle to Shrek 2 and pales to the point of apparition when compared to the original.

The characters that populate the "Shrek" universe remain as endearing as ever in principle, but after four movies there is little that can be done to keep them animated, so to speak. That is why it comes as no surprise that the plot of this film has the mythical land of Far Far Away being turned on its head by the devious Rumplestiltskin, morphing all familiarity into a bizzaro world of sort, and I'll admit, it does add an iota of charm to the proceedings. Shrek (Mike Myers) finds himself tired of family life with his ogre wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and longs for his bachelor days of terrifying townsfolk and signs a contract with 'Rumple' as he is less than affectionately called. Things don't turn out nearly as he imagined and Shrek must fulfil a loophole in the contract to turn things back to the way they were.

The original gang all return along with Shrek and Fiona. We have the swashbuckling Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), the chatty Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Julie Andrews and John Cleese as the Queen and King respectively. There are also a number of celebrity voice cameos including Larry King and Regis Philbin and all add up to a lively time at the movies. In the movies defence, the lack of freshness never translates to boredom.

The biggest issue with Shrek the Third was the weak attempt to inflate the voice cast, making things more monotonous yet. DreamWorks has clearly learned from this mistake and in addition to tweaking the familiar character's personas in this alternate reality, find a decent villain in Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn) along with great comedians the likes of Craig Robinson and Jane Lynch. The animation is as stellar as ever and it never ceases to amaze how lifelike a film can look that has a talking donkey at its center.

What makes this descendant of Shrek somewhat distinguishable is that it presents itself more as homage then adhering to the spoof ideology that characterized the others. Shrek Forever After is part Aladdin, part Bedazzled and more than a sprinkle of It's a Wonderful Life. There are also many more laughs in this film than the previous, and can often be attributed to site gags sprung from the new universe (an obese Puss in Boots provokes more than a few guffaws).

What everyone has to remember, first and foremost, is that the "Shrek" franchise is meant for children and I don't believe any of the four instalments could disappoint an eight year old. It is the accompanying adults that need to be wary of the growing tedium in the franchise, but thanks to a plethora of talented actors and a significantly more satisfying storyline, Shrek Forever After makes for an entertaining diversion, even if it's no longer magical.

Much better than "Shrek the Third" and is a surprisingly good film

[abrady8103 · 8/10 · 29 June 2010]

"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.

Not bad but is not as good as the first two predecessors

[petit76 · 7/10 · 27 May 2010]

It's not really cool to like Dreamworks Animation anymore. Sure, they're not Pixar. Sure, they're too hung up on star power and pop culture references. But I've still enjoyed the majority their films more than I have a lot of what's out there. And I love the first two "Shrek" movies. Their funny, entertaining, terrifically animated, and, too me, some of the best animated love stories that have been made. Most fairy tale romances perpetuate the idea that love is for beautiful people (even the masterpiece "Beauty and the Beast" has it's cake and eats it too on this point), and Princes and Princesses are better than common people. "Shrek"'s idea of finding happiness in who you are was much more palatable to me. i found the first film a delight, and the second even better.

But the third was only okay. The humor wasn't nearly as clever or funny, and the heart just wasn't there like it used to be. "Shrek Forever After" isn't as good as those first two. But it's a big step back in the right direction.

The story begins with Shrek getting used to being a father. He loves Fiona and the kids, but he misses his old life as a menacing ogre. He's seen more as a lovable tourist attraction now, and he doesn't like it. So, he makes a deal with the mysterious Rumpletiltskin (surprisingly NOT voiced by a name actor) to get one day back in his old life. In exchange, he gives up one day from his past. A day from his childhood that he doesn't even remember.

Unfortuntaely, that day turns out to be the day he was born, and this leads to an "It's a Wonderful Life" scenario where Shrek doesn't know Fiona, Donkey, Puss-in-Boots, or any of his friends, and Rumplestiltskin rules the Kingdom with a tiny iron fist. The resulting story is a great deal of fun, with Fiona now a warrior leading an ogre rebellion, the Gingerbread Man fighting as a gladiator against Animal Crackers, and so forth. The humor isn't back to it's highest heights, but there are a good number of genuine laughs. And the heart is back bigtime. I found "Shrek Forever After" surprisingly touching..

Okay, it's not as good as "Toy Story 3" is likely to be, nor is it as good as "How to train your Dragon". but I had a blast with "Shrek Forver After" Evren Buyruk

Shrek goes out on a low note:(

[cchires · 4/10 · 23 May 2010]

It's sad to watch a fall from greatness and that's what can best be described for the 'Shrek' films. The series started out strong with the first two movies and began to stumble into routine with the third. Now all the novelty and energy is gone and with 'Shrek Ever After' the audience gets a predictable, by-the-numbers, formula movie.

I think the main problem has to do with the fact that Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Puss have lost all of the chemistry that made the earlier movies fun. The comfort in their interactions drains all of the opening scenes of life. The main crisis in this film is also a little weak: Shrek has grown tired of his life as a celebrity ogre (this plot point is handled awkwardly in the opening scenes) and makes a deal with Rumplestilskin to go back to when he was feared by others. You know the movie's in trouble when this "It's a Wonderful Life" scenario is inserted to try to breathe some novelty into Shrek's story.

This wouldn't be a problem if the movie had fun with this situation. Sadly, it focuses more on action scenes to show off the 3-D effects rather than focusing on the alternate realities of the characters. There is an extended scene of Shrek flying a witches broom to escape from Rumplestilskin's castle, which is cool, but really exist for no other purpose than to give the audience a roller-coaster simulation. The same can be said for a drawn out flying dragon scene in the beginning of the film as well.

This movie also has less of the pop culture references that made the other films in the series enjoyable for adults as well as kids. The first film, in particular, seemed to be taking a lot of jabs at Disney, now it seems like Dreamworks is less hostile towards their competitors. Ultimately, The film wastes opportunities to have fun not just with the series regulars but also with the new characters: the Pied Piper, Rumplestilskin, the witches and all the other ogres. This was disappointing way to say goodbye to Shrek:(

Underrated Animation

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 10 December 2010]

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")

Fine conclusion

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 August 2014]

The King and Queen was about to make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin when Fiona was saved by Shrek. He's bitter at the happily-ever-after state of affairs. Shrek and Fiona have 3 kids and he's struggling with domestication. He's tired and wants to go back to scaring the villagers. Rumpelstiltskin tricks Shrek into a deal to give him the day he was born. Shrek discovers the new world is ruled by Rumpelstiltskin, witches are running things, and ogres are hunted. He and Fiona have never met. When the day expires, he will never exist. There is an exit clause in True Love's Kiss.

The start is a little bit slow. It's grumpy with a tired Shrek. New character Rumpelstiltskin isn't the most visually interesting. It does take a touching turn. It's a good 'It's a Wonderful Life' story. It has a warm message and the gang is back.

Time to say Shrek Good-Bye...

[namashi_1 · 4/10 · 22 May 2010]

Shrek has gone down a cult film character... so has Donkey, Fiona and Puss in Boots, thanks to the film that these characters became such a craze. Shrek was awesome, Sherk 2 was legendary, but the last one before this one 'Shrek The Third' was a yawn. Now comes 'Shrek Forever After', which ends the Shrek series... well if there is one more left, then I guess I won't be looking forward to it!

The problem with 'Shrek The Third' and 'Shrek Forever After' are it's script. The writing is bland, you except a lot from Shrek, due to the wholesome entertainment we've witnessed before. The Final Chapter has it's share of funny and light moments, but they are far and between!

What saves this disappointment is it's characters. Myers as Shrek is as good as ever! Diaz gives Fiona the voice she needs. Donkey and Puss-In Boots voiced by Icons like Murphy and Banderas are the life of the show. They are funny and spot-on. Walt Dohrn as the evil-head Rumplestilskin is just about okay.

All n all, It's truly time to say Shrek and his friends Good-Bye. Thanks for the entertainment you gave us in the first 2 flicks, now you guys are getting wasted in poor scripts. So, Have a nice time at Far Far Away!

Pretty solid

[shimenpf · 7/10 · 8 September 2019]

It's natural with franchises to compare one with the rest. In this case, Shrek 4 is below the first two. However, I'll dare to say that, as a single film, Shrek 4 is actually pretty good. It kept my attention during the whole film, the humor was pretty good, the reencounters Shrek has with the rest of the characters were special, the conflict was constant and, althoufh simple, strong enough to keep the film moving. If we avoid comparing this film with the rest in the franchise, and focus specifically on it as a film, it is actually more solid than I remembered.

A nice ending to the Shrek series

[colm-hearne365 · 7/10 · 10 April 2017]

Granted Shrek Forever After may not be as good as the first two movies but it's an improvement of Shrek the Third which disappointed many fans. But Shrek Forever After gave a nice ending to Shrek and I think it deserves more credit and a higher rating on IMDb because it has a good story, good comedy and a good villain (Rumpelstiltskin).

I like how it starts off with the King and Queen of Far Far Away almost making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin in order to break Princess Fiona's curse but the deal is interrupted when they find out the Shrek saved Fiona. Rumpel becomes vengeful because of Shrek and wishes he was never born. Then we see that Shrek misses the days when he used to be a real ogre even though Fiona tells him he has everything. Then Shrek meets Rumpelstiltskin and is tricked into signing a contract with Rumpel thinking that it will give him just one day to be a real ogre. At first, Shrek is thrilled because villagers are afraid of him and he can do whatever he wants. But then Shrek finds out he's been taken to an alternative reality and sees how things would've turned out if he was never born. Like Donkey is afraid of Shrek, Shrek and Fiona have never met, Puss is fat and Rumpel is in charge of the Kingdom of Far Far Away. And the only way Shrek can get his life back is sharing True Love's Kiss with Fiona.

Granted Shrek Forever After uses the same kind of story as It's a Wonderful Life but I think it deserves more praise because I like how it shows what everything would be like if Shrek never saved Fiona from the Dragon's Keep. And I like in the end, Shrek realizes that his life is perfect because he has friends and family.

jumped the Shrek and the Shark ... terrible

[Dash1969 · 22 May 2010]

Shrek is back for his fourth and hopefully last run and there's no plot, no story and none of the great little one liners or wink to the older crowd jokes we have enjoyed with the previous Shrek films. With everything Pixar can deliver nowadays, do we really need to try and squeeze blood from a franchise like this one? If Shrek 3 didn't pull it off than this one certainly has... This movie has jumped the Shrek and the Shark. Want a movie that is chalked filled with jokes that fall flat? Go see Shrek 4never.

Ever wonder why Hollywood is rebooting everything and spinning off bad TV shows? Well, they're clearly out of good ideas. More proof is green-lighting a fourth Shrek movie that's this bad. There's no way you can tell me that any studio exec read the treatment for this animated turd and thought it was a good idea for an entertaining film. They simply crunched the money numbers and ordered the standard grab for the wallet. Too bad I fell for it like a lot of people probably will. When will I learn my lesson?

Not Exactly Magical, But A Good Finale

[olympiantem · 7/10 · 7 July 2010]

I've Recently watched Shrek 4 with my family over the weekend and I thought it was pretty entertaining. Sure the jokes were Clichéd and the plot was a bit unoriginal, sure its not better than the first two. Although its definitely better than the third. But I still had fun watching it and laughed out loud the whole way.

The Last Scene was a bit disappointing, I thought we would see another Puss and Donkey Sequence just like Shrek 1,2,3 but I was disappointed by the lack of magic the final scene had, its supposed to be the final scene where you see Shrek and friends for the last time. Cmon they can do better than that.

Overall I thought it was great fun, although not as good as the first two, It was still great fun, I laughed a lot, I had a great time. Thanks for the good times Shrek

James Stewart's '' It's a wonderful life'' meets Shrek

[veronicammartin · 9/10 · 10 July 2010]

I went to see this film last night (FRIDAY 9th July 2010) and laughed out loud for the first time in heaven knows how long.

I thought the animation and personification of the characters, facial expressions were far better than any film made recently .

Walt Dohrn, as Rumplestilskin had a suitably peevish and vindictive expression to his voice. While all the other usual cast were well on form.

There was as always a moral to the story and Shrek's philosophical reflection to Fiona at the end cleverly turns the tables on our previous ideas of the film .

This is far better than Shrek 3, a laugh out loud film that does n't fail to deliver a feel-good response . It 's a James Stewart 'It's a wonderful life' meets Shrek. Loved it .

The final chapter of a great movie series

[bellino-angelo2014 · 7/10 · 18 September 2017]

This is the last of the four SHREK movies, and it's a great conclusion of the saga.

Here Shrek lives a regular life with Fiona and their three sons, but every day is always the same again and again, and he is nostalgic of his good old days, when he was feared by everyone. After exploding of anger at their sons' birthday party, he is tricked by the evil Rumpelstilskin that makes Shrek signing a deal that he would have lived just a day like a real ogre.

At the beginning it's all OK, feared and hunted by everyone, but he soon discovers that he ended in an alternative reality, where he wasn't even born. Consequently Donkey doesn't know who is his best friend, Fiona never met him and Puss is fat. And, Rumpel rules supreme Far Far Away, with witches (and then the Pied- Piper) at his orders. Soon Shrek befriends a group of fighting ogres with Fiona as their commander, and with Puss and Donkey's regained friendship, they all fight Rumpel's kingdom and Shrek can share his true love kiss with Fiona, and the spell is broken.

This movie follows the footsteps of ''It's a Wonderful Life'', with Shrek in the James Stewart role, only in a darker way and with no custodian angels. And in the ending credits there is a brief summary of the previous three movies, with some scenes mixed with the names of the crew members.

The first Shrek was excellent (and I also wrote a long review on it), the second was funny and enjoyable, the third... I found it also amusing and funny, although it received poor reviews by different websites and newspaper critics, and this is also highly enjoyable.

The animation is always great in every detail, the soundtrack is always outstanding (and the movie ends with Weezer's cover of ''I am a Believer'', the hit song of the first movie), and the actors are, as always, well suited in their roles, especially Walt Dorn as Rumpelstilskin and Eddie Murphy as Donkey, my favorite character.

I recommend this movie to all fans of the series.

Finally it ends.

[taylormorgan12 · 5/10 · 26 May 2010]

Shrek Forever After is a great movie to take your kids to go see. It has the dry humor, the silly moments, and of course every fairytale melted into one. It is not as entertaining for the adults as it was during the first two Shrek movies. There was nothing original about the humor as if we had already heard all the jokes before, and the repetitive themes were a little too much.

The effects were spectacular though, and would be even better to see in 3-D, as I did not. I recommend this to families-- and families only. If you are a teenager going with a bunch of friends, you probably won't like it as much, same to young adults. I give it a 5/10 due to lacking a passionate script.

Best Shrek Forever

[shrekever · 10/10 · 5 April 2018]

Best Shrek. It is a special movie, one of the best movies of all-time. It is a masterpiece on par with the mona lisa. What is so masterful about Shrek is its ambiguity. We never are certain if Shrek really did believe in the values that he professed. At the same time that he sets himself up as above the world, he longs for the affection of the common people. This is symbolized by his exploitative, and patronizing love for a chorus girl, Fiona. Her character is given a paper-thin characterization, the closest thing to a flaw in a perfect movie. Despite the film's pessimistic outlook, it is studded by moments of joy, beauty and emotional truth. The supporting cast of characters, most of them regulars from Wells' Mercury Theater are also superb. So many scenes in this movie linger forever in the memory, one is left with a stirring vision of the frailty of the human condition, the film gives us no easy answers and while being fiercely critical of many of it's characters is universal in it's compassion and sympathy, this is perhaps the most vital ingredient for great art. It's influence, was immediate, incalculable and mostly unacknowledged, the film was a box office and critical failure due to Hearst's efforts and it was not until years later that this film got the respect it deserved. Nowadays there is not one living film director of serious artistic intent that has not been deeply influenced by Shrek 4ever after. It's not just a masterpiece it's a creative touchstone.

Far from being a failure, but Far, Far Away from being great

[mcfjr42 · 7/10 · 1 January 2014]

The Shrek series seemingly comes to its conclusion in this movie, and this is probably for the best; the series really lost its touch with the third movie, and sadly this movie, despite being okay, just can't recapture the magic and hilarity of the first two Shreks.

The plot is simple: Shrek is fed up with fatherhood and his life as he is no longer taken seriously as an ogre, so he sells a day of his life to Rumpelstiltskin so he can live one day of being a feared ogre again. Unfortunately, Rumpelstiltskin took the day Shrek was born away, meaning Shrek never existed. He's in a race against time to find a way out of this mess or he'll disappear forever.

The plot seemed to me to move by really fast, and I don't necessarily mean that as a positive; for instance, Shrek gets in with the ogre resistance rather quickly, giving no time for any of the other ogres to really be developed. This also doesn't leave much room for the alternate timeline Shrek is in to be explored; we see characters like Gingy and Pinocchio but they don't contribute much aside from a couple of joke scenes.

The Pied Piper shows up at one point, but after his one scene he's never mentioned again. I was rather disappointed he wasn't used in the final battle.

The biggest problem this movie has is the comedy: it's just not as funny as the first two. Yes, it's leagues better than the third, but that's not saying much. There are a few laughs to be had, but they aren't as consistent.

Overall, this is a harmless and forgettable outing for the grumpy green giant. Though Shrek probably deserved a better sendoff than this, it's still okay for what it is. I'd say check it out if it's on TV, but otherwise you can just skip this and watch the first two and Puss in Boots instead.

I was prepared to be bored, but this one is actually pretty good.

[TxMike · 19 January 2011]

This movie borrows greatly from two other fables, the James Stewart movie "It's a Wonderful World", where he finds out what the world would be like if he never had been born, and the old Rumplestiltskin fable.

Mike Myers is of course back as the voice of Shrek. After some glimpses back at what happened in the earlier Shrek movies, we see him encounter a new, strange little man, Rumplestiltskin, who makes him a deal that seems too good to be true. Shrek had just had a difficult day, with a crowd, a party, his triplets, and his wife, Fiona, and just wished his life could be the way it used to be. Rumplestiltskin would grant this request, give him a whole day of peace, in exchange for just one day of Shrek's life. Contract signed, Shrek gave up the day he was born, which means he had never been born, and the world he knew became much worse for it.

A much "darker" story, but as it unfolds becomes quite interesting.

Eddie Murphy is back as the talking Donkey, Cameron Diaz is back as Princess Fiona, and Antonio Banderas is back as Puss in Boots. The marvelous new character is Walt Dohrn as Rumpelstiltskin.

SPOILERS: When Shrek starts to investigate this new world of his he comes upon a band of Ogres where he is now the small one, and to his surprise their leader is Fiona. But Fiona doesn't know him, and the only way the spell can be broken is if he kisses his "true love" before daybreak. When he finally convinces Fiona to kiss him, nothing happens, because she has not yet come to love him. Then in a battle with Rumplestiltskin Shrek sacrifices himself for the good of all the other Ogres, Fiona falls in love with him, kisses him at the very last second, restoring the world they once knew, with Rumplestiltskin done for.

Dreamworks play safe and sign the series off with dignity.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 4 December 2015]

After the monstrosity that was Shrek the Turd, the Dreamworks team behind the Shrek franchise woke up and realised what made the series so popular in the first place. Shrek Forever After is not a particularly great film, but it finds some firm footings to appease the adults and children alike.

Thematically it's as safe as houses, it pitches Shrek into a "It's a Wonderful Life" scenario, where the big green ogre gets to spend a day away from the life he didn't realise he was happy with in the first place. Making a deal with the nefarious Rumpelstiltskin, Shrek finds a world of darkness for ogres, a world ruled by a psychotic who has an army of flying Margaret Hamilton's to do his bidding. Worse than that, Fiona doesn't know him, she's the leader of the resistance and has no time for some big green ogre love. Donkey is all mangy and Puss in Boots literally has become a fat cat, it's a horrible life, man!

The action and graphics whizz past the eyes in what is a perfectly pitched time frame of 90 minutes. It never reaches the heights of the first two movies, but it doesn't strain for laughs or narrative cheek (Pied Piper as a bounty hunter? Genius), or more crucially, it's never dull, something part 3 can't safely claim to not be. It bows out with head held high, not so much in a blaze of glory, but with a dignified recognition of the fact it's time to retire to the swamp and chill out. Take it easy Shrek and the gang. 7/10

Wish-fulfillment

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 23 October 2010]

After the very disappointing 3rd Shrek it only could get better now couldn't it? Maybe there was a slight chance it would continue downhill, but fortunately they actually did manage to come up with a good story. A story one can only hope that puts the Shrek Saga to rest. What else should there come after this? It's OK to do a spin-off with Antonio Banderas character, but please not another Shrek (because I very much fear it would be along the lines of the very bad Shrek 3).

So while they didn't invent anything new (or did they?), the basic idea to make it about Shrek finding himself was strong enough to fill the movie. Not that many subplots and almost no distraction help the movie significantly! Not Pixar territory, but a good movie nevertheless.