Review of Shrek Forever After (2010) by Radhika J — 22 Apr 2012

Shrek the Third was a bad movie, especially coming off of the classic first two films in the franchise. The surprising thing about Shrek Forever After is not just that it didn't feel like a complete money grab like the third one did, but that it also felt like an earnest attempt to redeem the Shrek franchise, and end it on a good note.

Lo and behold, it actually succeeds with a story that feels tailor-made as a complete finish to this ogre's story, and at times its story (revolving around Shrek being thrown into the past, without having ever saved Princess Fiona) feels like both a response to the complaints that the third movie took things in the wrong direction, and an apology for that film's utter failure.

Shrek 4's animation is dated however, and it still doesn't have the same inventiveness and adult-oriented pop culture parodies on the scale of the first two (though it does indeed try), which in general keeps this film from being a classic.

But as a way to end the series without a whimper, Shrek Forever After is satisfying - which is a big relief.