Review: 'Shrek Forever After'

You know how lately it feels like Hollywood keeps squeezing out one pointless sequel after another, sequels that do nothing to further the story and, for all intents and purposes, have no reason to exist? Shrek Forever After is unfortunately no exception.

In the 4th and final installment, we are reunited with Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and all the other characters we've come to know and love. Shrek is happily married to his true love, Fiona, and they have 3 children together. But Shrek is starting to feel the unchanging routine of family and marriage life setting in, and longs for the days when he was "a real ogre" and was feared by everyone and left alone. So, in the same vein as 'Its a Wonderful Life", Shrek makes a deal with the evil Rumpelstiltskin. The deal is that Shrek must give up one day from his past for one day where things could go back to how they used to be. However Shrek is tricked and thrown into a world where he never met Fiona or Donkey, and Ogres are being hunted and captured. Its up to him to find a way out of the contract and save himself and those he loves before its too late.

Heres the thing about Shrek Forever After though: it was completely pointless. Having not really remembered the other movies had no effect on my viewing experience, because as I watched I realized it was all just a rehashing of the franchises earlier moments....except usually not as funny. The story wasn't pushed any further, we didn't learn anything new...it was a sequel, with no other purpose, but to be another box-office killer.

While the film definitely had its moments, and the little kids in the theater seemed to be enjoying themselves, I found myself bored in the middle of the movie. 3D always adds an extra element of fun into the movie...yet even with the 3D, it still wasn't able to match the magic of the first. All in all: Shrek Forever After left me forever uninterested in a Shrek 5.

Rating: C