ANIMATION; 1hr 33min
VOICES BY: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas
Mano a mano: from left, Rumpelstiltskin and Shrek
An emasculated ogre is a contradiction in terms but that’s where Shrek (voiced by Myers) is at in this fourth and final instalment of the series. Married to ogre-fied Princess Fiona (Diaz), a local celeb and the father of three squally sprogs, the bulky one feels defanged and oppressed. Hence his Faustian deal with the shonky Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), in which Shrek rashly agrees to trade a day from his youth for a day of old-fashioned fiendhood. But when Rumpel, being Rumpel, chooses the day of Shrek’s birth, an all-hell alternate reality breaks loose.
Complicated? Who cares? Bopping along in 3-D, its cast snugly right at home, Forever After is intrigue a-go-go-go as a remorseful Shrek and perky Donkey (Murphy) fight the good, reversal of ill-fortune fight. They have their work cut out, too, what with Rumpel now king of a depressed Far Far Away, Fiona the leader of the ogre resistance and Puss in Boots (Banderas) morbidly obese. Me-ow! If the softhearted show really does have to close, at least it’s going out with a jolly green bang.
