I feel sorry for the Goose but otherwise...

Rating: 8/10 (18 August 2019)

I re-watched this today and it was better than I remembered.
The thing with a sequel is that it's easy to hold it to a particular standard rather than judge it fairly on its own terms. Shrek 1 sort of captured lightning in a bottle and Shrek 2 was a great sequel because it answered all the questions that Shrek 1 raised. Shrek the Third was a little bit of an embarrassment albeit a passable embarrassment but you can tell it did not come from a good place creatively. The complete absence of Arthur in this movie is testimony to that.
The set up here is a lot more captivating than "third". Rather than the formulaic progression from married to pregnant the franchise steers into its skid by having Shrek lament his own new life, a shadow of his former self, nostalgic for his care free bachelor days. It's a little gross but I can't say it isn't contextually justified even if I don't have a lot tolerance for flatulence of any type.
It annoyed me how the movie seems to want me to think Shrek is wholly in the wrong with Fiona not being very supportive. Quick rant: it's important to let parents feel comfortable saying that parenting, though the best job they've ever had, is still the hardest and it can be a bit much. It's indeed a story of how sometimes we need perspective to see how good we have it but it does it well. It's uncomfortable how the ever accumulating list of little frustrations lead to a crescendo of trouble on the kids' birthday bash and it really puts you on Shrek's side.
I remember being a bit put out to see a new antagonist out of the Blue but Rumple makes a delicious baddie. He follows the series' trend of effeminate villains but at the same time he is somewhat of a double subversion to see a fairytale villain be the actual villain, not the princes and fairy god mothers we've had so far.
I feel I short changed the movie when I though of it as desperately inverting its own characters for cheap laughs but it really isn't that at all. Not only is is good fun to see Ogres as a race, not just limited to the Shrek family, we get to see the real Fiona of sorts in full warrior ogre mode and she is badass. Donkey is funny and classic and Puss...well I liked him and he has some great moments with Donkey.
The animation and visuals are as stunning as you'd expect, it stands out from the other chapters with its rich yellowish apocalyptic color scheme and a lot of witches who have some choice moments. The action sequences are there and the gags are never as excruciating as in "third". The music is marvellous: not only are the pop songs brilliantly selected the original score will enchant you and thrill you, with all the familiar motifs expertly timed.
It will tug at your heart strings as it truly earns its moments of sentimentality. It could not have chosen better closing lines, I'll say that much.
I'm truly glad this movie exists. Not only is it pleasant viewing in its own right (clearly below part one and two but a heap above part three) it turns the Shrek sage from a misguided trilogy to a neat tetralogy.
Do not get your hopes up or hold in your mind what you think a Shrek movie is supposed to look like and you will not hate this. Well you might, this is just my opinion, the point is this is a tick from me.