Shrek Forever After (Mike Mitchell, 2010): USA
Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy. Viewed at the West Wind Drive-in, Goleta, CA.
In the final installment to the series, Shrek Forever After has been released in theaters, and is available for viewing in Imax, 3D, or slumming it at the drive-in.
In an attempt to relive the glory days of my youth, I schlepped my family of five over to Goleta’s recently re-opened West Wind Drive-in.
First of all, drive-ins were not originally designed with monster trucks, SUV’s or minivans in mind. Serious viewers need to arrive at least an hour early in order to secure a decent viewing spot and also to avoid having some genius in a minivan or SUV park backwards and open up their hatch, making visibility behind them nil.
Here’s a little drive-in etiquette to follow:
1) If you have great car speakers, get in your car, shut the door and enjoy your sound – don’t attempt to broadcast for the entire lot, as the clown next to me did, it’s just not cool.
2) If your kid owns a laser pointer, don’t allow them to use it on the screen once the movie has started – as some punkass was allowed to do continually throughout the film.
3) Lastly, do not under any circumstances turn your lights on (headlights or interior) intermittently for great lengths of time, as several bozos felt inclined to do for the 90 minute duration. During the politically incorrect 70’s these fools would have been severley honked at (the equivalency of a spanking) and tossed out of the establishment!
Needless to say, I will not be returning anytime soon to the West Wind drive-in (or any other) unless I hear of major improvements. Despite these monumental distractions, I managed to focus on the film, and actually enjoyed it!
Fourth in the series, and the Shrek team actually got it right. Unlike the Indiana Jones series which began a fall from grace with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and ended shamefully with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Shrek Forever After ended the series on a high note, surpassing Shrek the Third (2007).
With the honeymoon over, the reality of kids and the monotony of everyday life begins to set in, and despite his love for Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and the kids, Shrek (Mike Myers) no longer feels like he’s an ogre and stumbles into a mid-life crisis. While out walking in the woods and in a fit of anger, Shrek is tricked into rescuing Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn) from an overturned carriage, and as reward Rumplestiltskin grants Shrek a wish. Shrek’s wish is to feel like an ogre again, if only for a day, but he must trade one day of his youth for the wish to be granted. Unbeknownst to Shrek, creepy little Rumplestiltskin has a vendetta against him for rescuing Fiona with true love’s kiss, and messing with his plans to acquire and become ruler of Far Far Away.
The contract is signed and Shrek sets about frightening everyone in the local village and enjoying it, until he is captured by a group of witches and taken to a changed, more decadent Far Far Away ruled by Rumplestiltskin. Shrek learns that the day of his youth that was traded, was the day of his birth and he will disappear within that 24 hour day!
Chaos ensues and Shrek manages to escape, as each character emerges in the plot one by one such as Gingie, Donkey, and The Blind Mice, but not one knows the other. Fiona is the leader of a pack of warrior ogres, while Puss is her lazy pet cat.
The writing in this sequel is solid and upbeat, very funny with the usual witty dialogue. When Rumplestiltskin offers a reward for the capture of Shrek with “no strings attached,” several characters bring in false Shrek’s including Pinocchio, who drags in his dad Geppetto in painted green face, posing him as Shrek.
In true fairytale fashion, Shrek learns that he has everything he needs in life to be happy, and to be thankful for everything he has. Not too preachy or politically correct, the film contains a good message for us all.
Clear and to the point, I found this fourth sequel more enjoyable than Shrek the Third, which was filled with too many sub-plots and veered in a negative direction.
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