Sonic Cinema

Sounds, Visions and Insights by Brian Skutle

Shrek Forever After

Grade : C Year : 2010 Director : Mike Mitchell Running Time : 1hr 33min Genre : , ,
Movie review score
C

I don’t know about Shrek, but I have to admit I’ll be living happily ever after with the knowledge that Dreamworks is putting its’ mega-blockbuster franchise out to stud. I wish they’d done so after the classic first film. It’s still one of the best films they’ve ever done…at least until they topped it with this year’s “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Mike Myers and co. are back as the characters we’ve come to know and, well, follow, since 2001. Unlike the last two films, however, this one actually has an interesting story. Yeah, it’s ripped from “It’s a Wonderful Life”- is family life really for this ogre?- but at least it’s an original story with a universal theme: If you could do one thing different, what would life be like? Would it be better?

It’s an interesting “what if?” for the ogre and his friends, but it’s not really the type of thing for a family film. The outlook on marriage is bleak, but it’s all rooted in the characters. And director Mike Mitchell (“Sky High”- good; “Surviving Christmas”- not so good) is a natural for animation- he makes this film as beautiful and eye-popping any of Dreamworks’ previous hits (including their best works like “Kung Fu Panda,” “Over the Hedge” and “Shrek” the first).

The problem is, it’s just not funny. It’s not like the actors don’t try (special props to Walt Dohrn as Rumpelstiltskin), but writers Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke don’t get a lot of comedic mileage out of a story that feels too drab for the type of film this should be. It should be subversive, smart, and old-school romantic…like the first film was. Unfortunately, this ogre lost its’ roar a long time ago.

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