DreamWorks' SHREK

[LotsoA113]

I read in a Yahoo article that Rumplestiltskin required lots of yelling. Wow, aa loud DreamWorks villain! Haven't seen that before.

[Ben]

Oops, though not surprising:

You know that a film franchise is beginning to tire when its central character is in the throes of a midlife crisis. Such is the case with the lovable ogre in "Shrek Forever After," the fourth and promised final film in the animated series that has proven a moneymaking machine in its last three incarnations. Receiving its world premiere as the opening-night film at the Tribeca Film Festival, this installment should prove equally lucrative -- especially considering the extra coin that 3D and IMAX bring to the table -- but it also reveals a definite been-there, done-that feeling.

The film wastes no time in reintroducing its beloved characters, including the sassy Donkey (Eddie Murphy), the adorable Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), the suave Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and, ever so briefly, Fiona's royal parents (John Cleese, Julie Andrews). Shrek (Mike Myers) is now a staid married ogre with three adorable ogre offspring who finds himself chafing at his rigid domesticity and his being embraced by the very villagers who once feared him.

In an effort to shake things up, he enters into an unfortunate pact with the devil or, more precisely, new villain Rumpelstiltskin (borrowed for the occasion from the Brothers Grimm). Suddenly, he finds himself in an alternate Far Far Away in which he was never born: Rumpel is king, Fiona is the fierce warrior leader of a band of rebel ogres, Donkey is in the employ of a band of cackling witches, and Puss, well, Puss has really let himself go -- he's now a pampered housecat with a serious eating disorder.

Desperate to reclaim his former life, Shrek attempts to woo back Fiona and extract a kiss from his "one true love" that will undo the effects of the spell.

Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke's screenplay creates some fun with the personality and visual changes the familiar characters have undergone, but as with so many sequels to sequels, "Shrek Forever After" has lost much of the simple charm, humor and heart that marked its predecessors. No doubt looking to exploit the sensory stimulation offered by 3D, the filmmakers have ramped up the action, most notably in a high-flying broom chase featuring Shrek and Donkey and the witches and an elaborate climactic battle sequence. (Tellingly, this is the first in the series to be presented in widescreen.)

(The 3D effects are undeniably impressive, but like many other examples of this increasingly popular form, some of the visual quality is sacrificed with the inevitable image darkening. The fact that much of the story is set in a literally bleaker landscape doesn't help matters.)

As usual with the series, this edition includes numerous pop cultures references -- a nod to "The Wizard of Oz" got a big laugh -- and several musical montages set to classic pop songs, including the Carpenters' "Top of the World."

By this point, the estimable voice talents have their acts down cold, with each once again providing invaluable contributions (especially Banderas, whose hilarious Puss steals scenes with abandon). Newcomers include story editor Walt Dorhn, whose Rumpelstiltskin displays an amusingly hysterical edge; Jon Hamm, lending his stern baritone to his role as an ogre who makes Shrek look wimpy; and Jane Lynch and Craig Robinson as ogre rebels (the latter particularly funny as a chef whose specialty is chimichangas).

Tribeca Film Festival (Paramount Pictures)
Production: Intru 3D, Dreamworks Animation SKG
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Walt Dorhn, Jon Hamm, Jane Lynch, Craig Robinson, Lake Bell, Kathy Griffin, Mary Kay Place, Kristen Schall
Director: Mike Mitchell
Screenwriters: Josh Klausner, Darren Lemke
Producers: Gina Shay, Teresa Cheng
Executive producers: Aron Warner, Andrew Adamson, John H. Williams
Editor: Nick Fletcher
Production designer: Peter Zaslav
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Rated PG, 90 minutes

Interesting to see Cleese in the voice cast there and, BTW, the reference to widescreen is that opposed to the 16:9 frame of 1.78:1 that the first three films and TV special have been framed at, Shrek 4 goes for a CinemaScope style 2.35:1. Why they changed ratios for a fourth and final film, thus changing the visual dynamic of the films on both big and smaller screens, is beyond me, but it's a shame for the visual consistency.

[EricJ]

I read in a Yahoo article that Rumplestiltskin required lots of yelling. Wow, aa loud DreamWorks villain! Haven't seen that before.

And musical montages, set to old 70's-cliche' Carpenter songs?--Folks, I'm all for taking risks, but isn't that pushing the envelope too far?

(The reviewer doesn't seem to know that this's being promoted as the Finale--
And although we've heard that before--ahemIndy--it is a matter of Giving the Public What They Want.)

[EricJ]

Also, "yelling" would verify suspicions: I'm sorry, look at those newest shots of the character; that HAD to have been originally designed for Rik Mayall, (Who not only would've been the obvious comic stunt-name choice, but arguably funnier than what we got.)
Just a coincidence?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRi-v_7cJ_U

One of the house writers is voicing Rump instead, and that's a Disney/Pixar game that Dreamworks ("We've got Will Ferrell AND Ben Stiller!") doesn't usually play...Sounds like somebody had turned it down at the last minute.

[Dacey]

Actually, Eric, DreamWorks has done that a number of times. Maybe not characters as "major" as the villain, but Skipper the penguin in the "Madagascar" movies was done by one of the directors. Similarly, Gingy is done by a story guy.

If someone else had been cast, we probably would've heard about it, which is why I'm guessing that no one ever was.

[Bill1978]

I thought I read somewhere that initially the producers did have someone in mind but hadn't approached them yet, but during storyboarding the guy who is doing the voice now, provided the temp voice and everybody loved it so much they decided he had to be the voice and so scrapped the plan to ask the 'big name'

[CGIFanatic]

I read the same thing here.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 2821.story

[Locall]

Brace yourselves,

Shrek 4-ever (or Shrek the Fourth) stands at 20% fresh @ Rotten Tomatoes.

lol

[EricJ]

Actually, as of the most recent posters and trailers, it's now OFFICIALLY "Shrek: the Final Chapter". (As the audience wasn't getting the idea from most of the ads.)
And we're holding you to it, Jeff. Can't welch out now.

[Daniel]

Perhaps I'm thinking too much into it, but a recent TV ad has the Michael Jackson song "oh baby give me one more chance" playing in the background. Kind of reflects the scenes it goes with, but could it also have a double meaning? Telling people to give Shrek one more chance after seeing Third?

Speaking of ads, I saw another that had Fiona's dad in it. (we knew, but it's nice to actually *see* him!) Now if only they could loophole the first two villains back, that would be epic! Well, maybe only if they had their memories intact. Rump so far doesn't seem very promising.

[Otis8]

Today was the fist time I saw that Michael Jackson commercial.. to me it screams what you are thinking. Why else use that song? I wonder if it really is in the film or not.

[EricJ]

Think they're TRYING to promote the subplot of Shrek having to win Warrior Fiona all over again to core fans who actually care about the characters, but....face it, guys, when putting "Final" in the title is now the big audience draw, promoting the plot is just polishing the portholes on the Titanic.

[Daniel]

Here's a poster with the updated title:

Reminds me of The Santa Clause 3's poster.

[starlioness]

they should call it Shrek the what?.. I just wonder if the only reason they made this movie was that Shrek 3 stunk so bad.. but I guess they had to fill in the question if mom and/or dad died who'd rule Far, Far Away.for the third movie... I wonder if there's still going to do the Halloween special ..

[LotsoA113]

They are sadly. They also have the Kung Fu Panda Christmas special. Yep, this is really the final chapter...