 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** Tagline: It's ain't ogre... til it's ogre -- The Final Chapter It started with a loveable ogre...who befriended a talking donkey...and rescued a beautiful princess in the unforgettable story that broke the mold for all animated films to follow. Now comes Shrek Forever After, the hilarious and fitting finale to the record-breaking, Oscar-winning movie phenomenon. Longing for the days when he was a "real ogre," Shrek signs a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to get his roar back - but turns his world upside down in the process. Donkey suddenly can't remember his best friend; Fiona is now a tough warrior princess; and Puss in Boots is one fat cat! Together, they have just 24 hours to reverse the contract and restore happily forever after to close the final chapter. Storyline: A bored and domesticated Shrek pacts with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away -- where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met -- he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love. Written by IMDb Editors Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, December 1, 2010 -- I guess there's nothing wrong with wanting some time for myself. It might not be easy being green, but it sure is profitable. Shrek and its three sequels made more than a fair chunk of change at the box office and additional untold millions of dollars more in home video sales and merchandising, but not by sheer luck. Shrek is a magically timeless series that emphasizes good, wholesome values, even through a plethora of generally kid-friendly but subtly adult humor and dark plot structures that incorporate Fairy Tale cliché to unbelievably unique and effective results. The Shrek series turns the classic Fairy Tale on its head by crafting emphasizing the "Happily Ever After" finale but gets there through humor and oftentimes dark and perilous adventure, and with a hero and heroine who are decidedly untraditional in both appearance and attitude. The slovenly and anti-social Shrek and his fair Bride, the chubby green ogre Fiona, represent a new take on the classically beautiful Fairy Tale heroes and heroines, allowing the stories to more easily but without much additional pomp and circumstance celebrate the true meaning of love and the joys of the Happily Ever After ending by emphasizing that true beauty is not merely skin deep. The final film in the series, Shrek Forever After, puts the prefect finishing touches on the characters' four-part journey of discovery by once again emphasizing and reinforcing the themes that defined the first three pictures while offering up the best story, finest animation, and most memorable villain of the bunch. In the time before Shrek rescued Fiona from her tower, bestowed upon her love's true kiss, and the happy couple began their journey towards Happily Ever After, a cunning little villain by the name of Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) persuaded Fiona's royal parents, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), to hand over the keys of the kingdom to him in exchange for freeing Fiona from her seemingly eternal curse. Just as the King was about to sign away everything but his wife and daughter, word reached him that Fiona had been saved, ruining Rumpelstiltskin's perfect plan to sieze power over the Kingdom of Far, Far Away. Years later, Rumpelstiltskin is still sore over the loss and Shrek, who is now married to Fiona and father to triplets, is losing his sanity. His busy life has become a curse rather than a blessing, and he longs only to return to the days before Fiona, Donkey, and the babies and once again live life like a real ogre, scaring peasants and leading a joyfully stress-free existence. When a frustrated Shrek storms out of his babies' first birthday party, he happens up Rumpelstiltskin who seizes the opportunity to offer Shrek the deal of a lifetime: a day of absolute freedom to live as he once did in exchange for one day from his childhood that he won't even remember losing. Shrek signs the binding contract but soon finds his world in disarray; all that he's come to know and love over the years has vanished, replaced by a world run by the hateful Rumpelstiltskin where Fiona is no longer his wife, Donkey is just another talking animal, and his children don't exist. Faced with a reality that he may have forever destroyed all he comes to realize that he holds dear, he sets out to learn what exactly it will take to set things right. What a way to end the series. Shrek Forever After is the perfect conclusion to the story that began in Shrek; this fourth installment not only captures the magic and heart of the series as well as any of the other entries, but it also boils its entire plot down to the most basic element that defines all four films: the power of true love's first kiss and, with that, the theme that speaks on the importance of self-worth; acceptance; inner beauty; and the meaning and power of real, unconditional love. Shrek the Fourth comes full circle by reinforcing the notion that the bonds of love are greater than place and time, circumstances, or stature; even so, the picture once again revels in Fairy Tale cliché, but for once it's cliché with real meaning that allows audiences to whittle away even the most basic plot elements and come to see the true power of a Happily Ever After ending. This is a Fairy Tale, after all, so there's no surprise that the movie ends on the most upbeat and heartfelt conclusion possible given the specifics of the story, but that's alright. Shrek the Fourth and the other three Shrek films, for that matter, provide a tender and warm escape from the complexities of the world and aim to do nothing more than show that no matter the challenges that life throws one's way, there's always something better, something meaningful, something special on the horizon or, maybe, right under one's own nose. Every day and every moment might not be absolute physical, emotional, and spiritual bliss, but Shrek teaches that it's the sum of the experiences that define true happiness. Shrek the Fourth offers the perfect example of that by way of showing Shrek's life in a state of disarray that's about the last thing he could have ever wanted when audiences first met him nearly a decade ago; his is a classic case of "you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone," and therein lies the perfect scenario for the perfect Happily Ever After ending. Shrek could have never imagined that he would one day find true happiness in a houseful of babies, a wife by his side, a donkey as his best friend, and a suddenly cuddly and not at all terrifying stature where is roar is a gimmick rather than a frightening deterrent. Happiness, he and the audiences learns, comes to be defined through life experiences, and Shrek's destiny leads him to time and again find the real power and purpose behind love's true kiss and all that comes with it. Shrek Forever After finds its success as a film that reinforces the basic theme that runs through the series, but there are plenty of other things to love about the movie, all of which elevate it to a level of animated cinematic perfection that's rarely achieved. The picture retains the same charming characters and basic structure of its predecessors; The Fourth is equal parts adventure, comedy, and tenderness, and like the first two films, it manages to find and maintain the absolute perfect balance between the three. This film continues on with the inclusion of popular music to reinforce various plot elements and themes, and its use of The Carpenters' "Top of the World" is particularly memorable and, arguably, one of the finest music-movie compliments in all of cinema. Better still, Shrek the Fourth is a visually gorgeous picture and easily the best of the series. Unlike the other three films, The Fourth is presented in a scope widescreen aspect ratio that gives a more epic and dramatic flair to the image, but more importantly, the animation is, well, in a class practically by itself. Watching the four films in succession yields a real appreciation for how quickly the digital technologies have evolved. Whether in sheer realism, infinite details, or brighter and bolder colors, Shrek the Fourth is so far ahead of the original film and several notches better than either of the other two predecessors that one can't help but wish there would be a fifth film in the series several years from now if only to see the characters improved by even greater advances in animation techniques. One criticism of Shrek the Fourth might be that it closely resembles Shrek 2 in terms of structure and story; in 2, Shrek longed to be something other than an ogre so as to please Fiona and earn the blessing of her doubting father. Here, Shrek yearns to lose the humanity he's acquired and the life he's built and return to a more primitive and solitary state. In both films, Shrek learns that he's the sum of his experiences and not merely an immutable being accidentally thrust into an unnatural environment. Shrek the Fourth takes things a step further, though; in Shrek 2, all that really changed was Shrek. In Shrek the Fourth, he comes to realize that it's not necessarily him who defines who he is, but all it is that's around him, that's influenced him, that's become a part of his life. The complexities of life don't play well with alternate realities while traveling backwards down one's own personal evolutionary scale; every rung of that ladder holds an element that comes to define the entirety of an existence. Slide back down and those elements remain inside, even if they're not readily evident externally, resulting in an inner conflict that can't be resolved and a balance that can't be leveled. That basic core principal plays right into the hand of the series' overreaching themes, which are realized here to perfection and help make Shrek Forever After the perfect conclusion to a wonderful series. Cast Notes: Mike Myers (Shrek [voice]), Eddie Murphy (Donkey [voice]), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona [voice]), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots [voice]), Julie Andrews (Queen [voice]), Jon Hamm (Brogan [voice]), John Cleese (King Harold [voice]), Craig Robinson (Cookie [voice]), Walt Dohrn (Rumpelstiltskin / Priest / Krekraw Ogre [voice]), Jane Lynch (Gretched [voice]), Rest of cast listed alphabetically:), Lake Bell (Patrol Witch / Wagon Witch #2 [voice]), Kathy Griffin (Dancing Witch / Wagon Witch #1 [voice]), Mary Kay Place (Guard Witch [voice]), Kristen Schaal (Pumpkin Witch / Palace Witch [voice]), Meredith Vieira (Broomsy Witch [voice]). User Comment: toughsoulja from United States, 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. Summary: Didn't capture the magic of the first two. But better than the 3rd Installment. IMDb Rating (06/23/12): 6.5/10 from 55,805 users
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