3D Review: I hope this is the final chapter

Rating: 6/10 (22 January 2011)

**1/2 out of (****)
Going into the 2001 family adventure extravaganza known as "Shrek", I was quite skeptical despite its rave critical reception. After coming out of the theater, I had such a blast and had even a greater time watching it on Blu-ray 3D. "Shrek 2" was three fourths as good as its predecessor, which was good enough. It still retained "Shrek"'s charm, witty humor, and enjoyment factor. "Shrek the third", or should I say "Shrek the turd", was like a bullet to the chest. It wasn't funny, it wasn't entertaining, and it was just uninteresting. The Good News: Forever After is a refresher over the third installment. The Bad News: It kind of stinks.
First and foremost, the acting. Strangely, I did not care about any of the characters except Donkey. It seems like everyone was so angry all the time. They just weren't fun. At all. As for the script, I thought it was very uninspired. It was like a leftover script from "Shrek 2". Furthermore, the biggest flaw of this movie is that it's just not fun. The same problem its predecessor shared, "Shrek the third". There's just no charm, no fun. It's just a very average family adventure flick that just so happens to top its last installment.
Anything good? Well... the 3D is solid. The depth is amazing, there's a sufficient amount of gimmicks, and overall it adds to the experience. Speaking of enhancing the experience, visually, this is the best Shrek movie. There's a plethora of color, especially at the end, and the atmosphere is just so rich. It doesn't even feel like a Shrek movie. And, I did like the message. There are some animated movies that are melodramatic (intentionally too), and lay on morals very thick and syrupy. This film isn't one of them.
All in all, I really tried to like this movie... but I just didn't. While it's not a chore to sit through, I could've done something more productive. I just hope it's really the final chapter. While it's not a disgrace to the franchise, it's not a highlight either. It seems like these sequels get more uninteresting and less involving. Actually, I might think that my "6" rating is a little generous. This isn't a bad movie, it just could've been better given its potential.