Shrek Gets It Right

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2010)

"Shrek Forever After" is actually a return to the engaging storytelling of the first and second movies. Granted the story by Josh Kalusner and Darren Lemke is a take on "It's a Wonderful Life"—not entirely original. Shrek 4 is better than the last sequel and not a great as the first two movies. It is about falling in love all over again. So I was on board with that. Eddie Murphy is hysterical returning as Donkey. Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz also give their best in this clumsy sweet story. Director Mike Mitchell does a great job of capping the pop culture gags—some of the hip-hop Pied Piper jokes are inspired. Eddie Murphy is amazing with his renditions of retro classics.
In "Forever After" Shrek (Myers) has become disenchanted with domestic life and the tedious routine. Life is good—he has a loving wife and 3 beautiful ogre kids. However, Shrek flips out at the 1 year Birthday party for his kids. He misses the days when he was the feared ogre. Fiona (Diaz) tells Shrek, "You have everything. You're the only one who doesn't see it." Rashly Shrek signs a deal with Rumpelstiltskin (funny Walt Dohrn) where he trades a day in his life so that he can spend a day as the feared Ogre. However, the forfeit day is the day he was born.
Shrek soon realizes what has happened. Fortunately, Donkey (Murphy), who doesn't know Shrek in this alternate universe, points out there is a loop hole. Shrek discovers that since he never rescued his beloved Fiona from the Dragon Castle, she rescued herself and has reinvented herself as the Valkyrie ogre leading the resistance against the tyranny of Rumpelstiltskin. Fiona has no idea who Shrek is. Can Shrek and Fiona fall in love all over again? There is a hysterical "rock-um sock-um" robots fight scene with both. At the story arc Shrek confesses to Fiona that "The best part of the day was that I got to fall in love with you all over again."
"Shrek Forever After" gets it right in the end. And is really worth seeing.