Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter

Rating: 5/10 (11 December 2010)

The first two computer animated films were great, the third film was fun but not as good, and this final film in the story is an improvement on the predecessor, also being the only one in 3D. Basically the film starts with the past where the Queen Lillian (Dame Julie Andrews) and King Harold (John Cleese) almost signed a deal with Rumplestitlskin (Walt Dohrn) before they found out about Shrek (Mike Myers) rescuing Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). Forward to the present, Shrek is getting tired of the same repetitive life he is having with his wife and three ogre triplets, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and all the fairytale friends hanging round doesn't help his stress level either. It is at the birthday party of the three babies that lets out his big roar of frustration, and storms off to get some peace, and that is when he meets Rumplestiltskin. He offers Shrek the chance to become the former ogre he used to be for one day, feared and lonely, using a day from his past he wouldn't have any memory of, and he signs the deal. So Shrek has some fun scaring people, but then he gets captured by witches, working for Rumplestiltskin, and he realises that Donkey doesn't recognise him because the day he was born hasn't happened, and also that his life will end when the one day deal is up. So when they escape, Shrek does eventually convince Donkey to help him get back to the normal world, and they have the contract folded in a certain way to reveal how. They determine that Shrek needs to find Fiona and share true love's first kiss once again, and they only find her beneath the ground, with many other ogres who have formed a resistance. Fiona, also not knowing Shrek, reveals that no-one rescued her, she just escaped the castle herself, and she is still cursed, and the only way she will be convinced to love Shrek once again is to charm her all over again. Hearing that Rumplestiltskin will offer any wish to whoever brings Shrek in, he hands himself in, and demands that he grant his wish to have all ogres released, of course Fiona isn't. Donkey, the fattened Puss in Boots and the ogre resistance go to the rescue, and they thwart Rumplestiltskin's plan, and when it looks like Shrek is disappearing from existence, Fiona, having fallen for him again, kisses him. In the end, everything goes back to normal, Shrek realises how much his friends and family mean to him, and everyone does indeed live happily ever after. Also starring Jon Hamm as Brogan, Glee's Jane Lynch as Gretched, Craig Robinson as Cookie, Larry King as Doris the Ugly Stepsister, Kathy Griffin as Dancing Witch and Mary Kay Place as Guard Witch. The voices are still good, although Rumplestiltskin could have been someone we actually know, the computer animation is still good quality, and the It's a Wonderful Life style storyline is much better than the previous, all in all, a fun final animated fantasy comedy adventure. Worth watching!