In three feature films did Shrek really learn nothing about the meaning of true happiness?

Rating: 3/10 (30 June 2010)

In the kingdom of Far Far Away Shrek (Mike Myers) is at a crossroads in his life. He is unhappy with his marriage to Fiona (Cameron Diaz) because of the endless cycle of having to look after his children and the constant interruptions at the hands of the likes of Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and the village townsfolk. Shrek's home has also been turned into a tourist attraction because people do not find him scary anymore. At his kid's birthday party Shrek has a meltdown and wishes that he could go back to before he rescued Fiona. His wish is granted when he meets the evil Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who promises Shrek one day from when he used to be a scary ogre in favour of giving him one day from his childhood. Rumpelstiltskin chooses Shrek's birth and thus Shrek is swept back into an alternate time period where Rumpelstiltskin has become the ruler of Far Far Away. Shrek, with the help of Donkey, must break the deal by sharing true loves kiss with Fiona who is now the warrior of an underground ogre rebellion plotting against Rumpelstiltskin. The most troubling problem for Shrek is that Fiona does not recognise him and simply sees him as just another desperate ogre.
In three feature films did Shrek really learn nothing about the meaning of true happiness? From the very first Shrek film in 2001 the coda of the franchise has remained the same: to love yourself and others for who they are. Shrek Forever After is the fourth and apparently last film in the series and the material here is disappointingly tiresome at best. It might have made for a much better second film than a fourth entry. Persisting with the same character for this long requires the urgency to find new conflicts for them to solve, which will allow them to realise something they have not already discovered in themselves in the previous entries. With each new chapter this becomes increasingly difficult. Shrek's domestic problems and parenting issues are not particularly funny. They just lend the film an initially awkward and harsh tone that makes one question how the jolly green giant became this naive. Isn't this the same Shrek who came to realise that you don't know what you've got till it's gone nearly nine years ago?
There are echoes here of Frank Capra's classic film It's A Wonderful Life (1946), in which George Bailey was shown by a guardian angel what life would be like in an alternate world if he was never born. But even the mirroring of this great film can do very little to spark the charm here as many of the once likable character have now lost their appeal. This is largely the fault of the screenwriters Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, not just because the same thematic material is recycled but also because the film just isn't particularly funny. There are very few laughs in the opening quarter and the wit of the first two films just seems absent. At just ninety minutes the film is mercifully brief and there are a few sweet moments towards the end shared between Shrek and Fiona but the journey here still feels oddly compressed. Limiting Shrek to just a day of happiness is problematic because it means that most of the events of the film are crammed into almost a single evening, making it feel rather small and insignificant. Despite the lack of sight gags, director Mike Mitchell has done a credible job with the visual aspects though. The film is regularly beautiful to look at with the various 3D effects and touches of depth. Yet once this novelty wears offs, it is still an expensive price to pay for lazy, albeit pretty, sequel.
Shrek Forever After is a really disappointing finale for what was once a landmark in animated pictures. It's an example of the way a very clever and charming idea has been laboured far too often by the studio system. The plotting here is predictable, unfunny and derivative; a complete contrast to how one would describe the first film. Very small children who might not be particularly fussed about what they have already seen may enjoy it but to the parents who will have to take them it is sadly difficult to recommend the film for them in either 2D or 3D.