I'll take hell for this, but I liked it. Certainly more than Shrek the Third.

I'll be seeing it tomorrow with the family. It shouldn't be too hard to enjoy it more than Shrek 3 I hope.

B. would be A if better

no kidding?

I liked it more than 3. But that's not saying a whole lot, because it's still not that good. It just lacks the charm of the first two films.

Nowhere near the first two films in quality but a substantial improvement over the third. The film tidies up the storyline nicely and it's a very sweet movie overall that has its comedic moments. I do hope they don't make another one, though. This was a relatively good send-off. B

My opinion is pretty much along the same lines as Libs. It's not as good as the first two, and it's considerably toned down in terms of scope and jokes (especially the pop culture ones that pretty much ruined the third film), but it's good. In the third Shrek movie I could've cared less what happened to Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss, etc, mostly because I couldn't get past the overuse of pop culture jokes, very few of which were funny. But here, I thought the film did a good job of bringing the emotion back into the series, especially in the second to last scene. I don't remember much from the first three films in terms of emotional moments, but the scene where Shrek "almost" dies is actually very well done. And I was surprised that I found myself caring about what was happening, not just in that scene, but throughout the movie. A good part of that is thanks to the script, but I think Mike Myers also had a large part in it as well. This might be his best voiceover work in the series.

So although I wouldn't say it was as good as the first or second films, it's a return to form after the awful third movie and it sends the series off on the right note.

***

With relying more on Shrek then the other supporting characters such as Puss in Boots to such a high extent, Shrek Forever After is a solid entry. However, the short runtime cuts in to some of its potential. The It's A Wonderful Life take was nice and not too dumbed down to where an older viewer could still enjoy. Also a large decrease in the useless pop culture jokes is a plus. Even though it was known from the beginning that the film wouldn't take the "other" ending, the film can still keep a grip. A good conclusion to the series. **1/2

C+

SHREK FOREVER AFTER - 5/10 ( C )

The worst SHREK by far. Good thing it's the last. It has worn out its welcome.

B


I have never been a big fan of the Shrek franchise, always finding it to be hugely overrated, so my expectations were pretty much non-existent for this one. To be honest I still haven't even seen the second film (initially in protest against the film's massive success, but then I just never came around to it).

So going in like that I was actually mildly surprised as it was a rather enjoyable affair. It did not break any new ground and still had a lot of jokes that just didn't work. I still can't really warm myself up to Eddie Murphy's Donkey. But overall, I thought it was on par with the first Shrek film (which I consider overrated given all the praise it got). The animation was superb and the plot was much better than that in Shrek the Third. It was a pretty good way to end the series and I hope they'll just leave it at that.

As someone who had graded the earlier entries in this series...



... I have to admit my surprise to find this fourth Shrek film to be a fine film indeed. Instead of the usual Dreamworks Animation rhythm of cultural reference joke / cultural reference joke / emotional moment, Shrek Forever sports a full-on logical alternate universe screenplay that elevates the Shrek brand to new heights. I watched it out of boredom, and walked away a born again Shrek fan!


10 out of 10.

I am in the minority here, I do not think this was an improvement over Shrek the Third. the plot really felt like the animators had run out of ideas to take the franchise. It feels small and the scope isn't nearly as epic as that in the previous two Shrek films. The scenes where Shrek must get Fiona to fall in love with him again are well done, and making Puss in Boots obese was funny, as was finally getting to meet other ogres. But the film as a whole just feels unnecessary; it is an enjoyable watch, but it feels slight in the scheme of things.

B

Shrek Forever After finds some life left in the franchise with a decent spin on the “character sees what life would be like if they were never born” cliche. The film forgoes much of the humor of previous installments for genuine emotion and drama, and the animation receives a huge upgrade.