Shrek 4, advertised as Shrek: Forever After (or Shrek:The Final Chapter), is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated fantasy comedy film, and the third and final sequel to the 2001 movie, Shrek and marks the first time a comupter animated film series has made it to four films, The film was produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia and on May 21, 2010 in the United States. It was also released in 3D and IMAX 3D formats. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews and even John Cleese once agian reprise their role of Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, Puss-In-Boots, Lillian and Harold. They are joined by Jon Hamm, Jane Lynch and Criag Robinson, who play ogres and Walt Dohrn, Kristen Schaal and Kathy Griffin who play the movie's main villian, Rumpelstilskin and his witch minions.Although the film received mixed reviews from critics and opened lower than expected, it remained as the #1 film in the United States and Canada for three consecutive weeks and has grossed a worldwide total of over $752 million, making it a commercial success. Additionally, Shrek Forever After is DreamWorks Animation's second highest-grossing film at the foreign box office surpassed only by Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. It is also the second highest grossing animated film of 2010, behind Toy Story 3.
Plot[]
Before Shrek (Mike Myers) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) rescued Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) in the first film (Bceause of their deal with Lord Farquaad), King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) - desperate to lift their daughter's curse (despite their deal with Fairy God Mother and Prince Charming)- meet with con artist Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who wishes to become King of Far Far Away in exchange for helping them. But before the deal is signed, Harold and Lillian learn that Fiona has been rescued. Rumpelstiltskin is then shown to have become washed up as a result and subsequently bitter towards Shrek for inadvertently ruining his plans. In the present, after the events of Shrek The Third, Shrek has steadily grown tired of being a family man and celebrity among the local villagers, leading him to yearn for the days when he felt like a "real ogre". He takes his family to Far Far Away to celebrate his children's first birthday. Shrek gets annoyed when the three little pigs eat the kids' cake along with most of the other party food. A boy named Butterpants (who is said to be a "big fan" of Shrek) demands that Shrek roar. After he lets out a frustrated roar the entire crowd cheers, reinforcing his belief that no one considers him to be a true ogre. This coupled with the fact that the birthday cakes were decorated with a "cute" Ogre named "Sprinkles" finally makes Shrek lose his temper and smashes the new birthday cake in front of everyone, then walks out in anger. He and Fiona argue outside about his reaction which ends with Shrek rashly agreeing that he was happier before he'd rescued her. After storming off, Shrek encounters Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpel, who had observed Shrek's angry outburst with Fiona, seizes his chance. He follows Shrek and arranges what appears to be an accident where he is trapped under his carriage. Shrek helps him and Rumpel being "grateful", gives Shrek a ride and a meal. When Shrek voices his frustrations, Rumpel offers to give Shrek a day to live like a real ogre in exchange for a day from his childhood that he would not remember being erased. Shrek signs the contract and appears in a reality where he is still feared by villagers. He takes the opportunity to cause some light hearted mischief until he finds wanted posters for the ogress Fiona and his home deserted and desolate. He is kidnapped by witches and taken to Rumpelstiltskin, now the King of Far Far Away and possibly Emperor of a good deal more, which has become derelict and run down. Rumpelstiltskin uses ogres (and some of Shrek's friends) for slavery. Upon inquiry, Rumpelstiltskin reveals that the day he erased was the day that Shrek was born. Therefore, Shrek never saved Fiona, never met Donkey, and consequently Rumpelstiltskin was able to get Harold and Lillian to sign their kingdom away, then cause them to disappear. When the day ends, the affects will become Shrek will fade from existence. Shrek escapes Rumpelstiltskin's castle with Donkey. Initially terrified of Shrek, Donkey decides to trust him after seeing Shrek cry over his erased history, something he had never seen an ogre do before. After Shrek explains the situation, Donkey helps him find a loophole: the contract will be nullified if Shrek and Fiona share true love's kiss. Shrek and Donkey first travel to the dragon's keep where Fiona was kept and find the place deserted and the lava from the crater under the castle has been drained. They soon encounter a band of ogres who are resisting Rumpelstiltskin. The ogres are led by Fiona, who is still cursed after escaping from the tower where she was held captive, and keeps the retired and overweight Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) as a pet. Shrek does everything he can to gain Fiona's love, but she is too busy preparing an ambush on Rumpelstiltskin. She is also bitterly cynical and disillusioned about the power of true love and throws herself into planning Rumpelstiltskin's capture. While sparring with her, Fiona begins to like Shrek, but stops short of kissing him. Shrek is discouraged, but Puss encourages him to continue pursuing Fiona. During the ambush, the ogres are captured by the Pied Piper, though Shrek and Fiona managed to escape with the intervention of Puss and Donkey. Shrek insists Fiona kiss him, saying it will fix everything, but because Fiona does not truly love him it is ineffective. Upon hearing that Rumpelstiltskin is offering anything desired by the one who captures Shrek, Shrek surrenders himself in exchange for "all ogres" being released. Fiona remains in custody because, as Rumpelstiltskin points out, she is not "all ogre" (only by night, not by day). Shrek and Fiona are about to be fed to Dragon, but Donkey, Puss and the ogres raid Rumpelstiltskin's castle, allowing Shrek and Fiona to both subdue Dragon and capture Rumpelstiltskin. As the sun rises, Shrek begins to fade from existence. But Fiona, having fallen in love with him, kisses him just before he disappears, thereby voiding the contract and restoring the world to just before Shrek originally lashed out at everyone. Shrek embraces his friends and family with a newfound appreciation for everything he has, truly living happily ever after. During the credits, a nostalgic pop-out storybook style of pictures recaps Shrek's adventures with Donkey, Puss, and Fiona during the events of the first three films to Stevie Wonder's For Once In My Life.
Cast[]
- Mike Myers as Shrek
- Eddie Murphy as Donkey
- Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
- Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
- Walt Dohrn as Rumpelstiltskin
- Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man
- Aron Warner as Wolf
- Christopher Knights as Blind Mice
- Cody Cameron as Pinocchio, Three Pigs
- Jon Hamm as Brogan the Ogre
- Craig Robinson as Cookie the Ogre
- Jane Lynch as Gretched the Ogre
- Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
- John Cleese as King Harold
- Chris Miller as Magic Mirror and Geppetto
- Kristen Schaal as Pumpkin Witch, Palace Witch
- Mary Kay Place as Guard Witch
- Meredith Vieira as Broomsy Witch
- Kathy Griffin as Dancing Witch and Wagon Witch #1
- Lake Bell as Patrol Witch, Wagon Witch #2
- Jeremy Steig as Pied Piper
- Larry King (U.S.)/Jonathan Ross (UK) as Doris the Ugly Stepsister
- Regis Philbin as Mabel the Ugly Stepsister
- Mike Mitchell as Witch Guard #2 and Butter Pants
- Ryan Seacrest as Father of Butter Pants
Production[]
Following the success of Shrek 2, a third and fourth Shrek film, along with plans for a final, fifth film, were announced in May 2004 by Jeffrey Katzenberg: "Shrek 3 and 4 are going to reveal other unanswered questions and, finally, in the last chapter, we will understand how Shrek came to be in that swamp, when we meet him in the first movie."[5] Katzenberg announced a title for the fourth film in October 2007, Shrek Goes Fourth,[6] explaining that "Shrek goes out into the world, forth!"[7] However, in May 2009, DreamWorks Animation retitled the film to Shrek Forever After, indicating that it would be the last in the Shrek series.[8]In November, Bill Damaschke, head of creative production at DreamWorks Animation, confirmed with "All that was loved about Shrek in the first film is brought to the final film." Tim Sullivan was hired to write the script in 2005,[10] but was later replaced by Darren Lemke and Josh Klausner. Klausner said about the script's evolution: "When I first came onto the project, it wasn't supposed to be the final chapter – there were originally going to be 5 Shrek movies. Then, about a year into the development, Jeffrey Katzenberg decided that the story that we'd come up with was the right way for Shrek's journey to end, which was incredibly flattering."[11] Mike Mitchell would on board to direct the new installment, shortly before the release of the third film.[12] There were also rumors in September 2008, while the film was still in pre-production, that Tom Cruise was considered voicing the movie's villain,[13] but these would be later wrecked.[14] Much of the film was written and recorded in New York City.[15]
Soundtrack[]
Main article: List of songs featured in Shrek Forever After. Similar to most of the other Shrek films, the film's original score was composed by British composer Harry Gregson-Williams.
Release[]
Shrek Forever After premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2010.[16] It was publicly released on May 20, 2010, in Russia, while the American release followed the next day. The film was also released inIMAX 3D format.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
Shrek Forever After received mixed reviews, with several critics believing that the film is better than Shrek the Third, but lacking the story-rich detail as Shrek and Shrek 2. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoesreported that 58% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 189 reviews, with an average score of 5.9/10.[20] Its consensus states "While not without its moments, Shrek Forever After too often feels like a rote rehashing of the franchise's earlier entries."[20] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 58 based on 35 reviews. Pete Hammond of Boxoffice gave the film 4.5 stars out of 5 writing "Hilarious and heartfelt from start to finish, this is the best Shrek of them all, and that's no fairy tale. Borrowing liberally from Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, this edition blends big laughs and emotion to explore what Far Far Away might have been like if Shrek never existed."[22] James Berardinelli of Reelviews awarded the film 3/4 stars stating "Even though Shrek Forever After is obligatory and unnecessary, it's better than Shrek the Third and it's likely that most who attend as a way of saying goodbye to the Jolly Green Ogre will not find themselves wishing they had sought out a more profitable way of spending 90-odd minutes."[23] Writing her critique for Entertainment Weekly, Lisa Schwarzbaum graded the film a B- claiming "Everyone involved fulfills his or her job requirements adequately. But, the magic is gone, and Shrek Forever After is no longer an ogre phenomenon to reckon with."[24] Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers wrote "It's a fun ride. What's missing is the excitement of a new interpretation."[25] Mary Pols, film critic for Time, concluded her review with "Can an ogre jump a shark? I think so."[26] Giving the film 1 star out of 4, Kyle Smith of the New York Post wrote that "After the frantic spurt of fairy-tale allusions and jokes in the first three Shreks, this one inches along with a few mostly pointless action scenes and the occasional mild pun."[27]
Box office[]
Shrek Forever After earned $238,736,787 in North America, and $513,864,080 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $752,600,867.[3] It is the 52nd highest-grossing film,[3] the 10th highest-grossing animated film, the fifth highest-grossing of 2010, the second highest-grossing 2010 animated film (behind Toy Story 3)[28] and the second lowest-grossing Shrek film. Shrek Forever After had the widest release for an animated film (4,359 theaters - later expanded to 4,389) in North America. On its opening day (May 21, 2010) it took first place, grossing $20.8 million, which was lower than the opening days of the last two Shrek films. The film then opened in three days with $70,838,207, lower than box office analysts predictions of a $105 million opening[30] and also lower than the two previous films of the franchise. Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation, said they were happy with the film's opening since it debuted at #1 and also had the fourth best opening for an animated film, at the time, at the American and Canadian box office.[31] Shrek Forever After was in first place for three consecutive weekends. In North America, it was the eighth highest-grossing film of 2010,[35] the fourth highest-grossing DreamWorks Animation film, 2010's third highest grossing animated film, trailing Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me and the lowest-grossing Shrek film. Executives at DreamWorks Animation were impressed because the film earned $238.7 million in North America, although it was the fourth film in the series, seemingly being outgrown by its fans. Having made $513.9 million in other continents, it is the highest-grossing Shrek film, DreamWorks Animation's second biggest hit (behind Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted), and the seventh highest-grossing animated film.[37] It topped the weekend box office once, on July 16–18, 2010, with $46.3 million.[38][39] In Russia and the CIS, its second highest-grossing country, it had a $19.7 million opening weekend which was a record among animated films. It earned $51.4 million in total.[40] Third in total earnings came the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta, where it opened with £8.96 million ($13.6 million) and finished its box office run with £31.1 million ($51.1 million).[41]
Accolades[]
Home Media[]
Shrek Forever After was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 7, 2010.[18] As of March 13, 2011, the DVD has sold 3,438,198 copies and has made $57,634,242.[19] The film is also included in Shrek: The Whole Story, a box set released on the same day that included all 4 Shrek movies and additional bonus content.
Video game[]
Main article: Shrek Forever After (video game)
Shrek Forever After is an action-adventure video game based on the movie of the same name. It was released by Activision on May 18, 2010.
Possible sequel[]
Following the success of Shrek 2 in May 2004, Jeffrey Katzenberg revealed that the Shrek story had been outlined into five films almost from the beginning. "Before the first one was finished we talked about what the whole story of Shrek is, and each of the chapters answers questions about the first movie and gives us an insight," said Katzenberg, "Shrek 3 and 4 are going to reveal other unanswered questions and, finally, in the last chapter, we will understand how Shrek came to be in that swamp, when we meet him in the first movie."[51] After the release of Shrek the Third in 2007, Katzenberg announced that the fifth film would be released in 2013. In May 2009, DreamWorks Animation (DWA) announced that the fourth film's title would be Shrek Forever After, indicating that it would be the last in the Shrek series.[53] Later that year, that was confirmed by Bill Damaschke, head of creative production at DWA, with him saying: "All that was loved about Shrek in the first film is brought to the final film." Josh Klausner, one of the writers of Shrek Forever After, explained in 2010 the script's evolution: "When I first came onto the project, it wasn't supposed to be the final chapter — there were originally going to be 5Shrek movies. Then, about a year into the development, Jeffrey Katzenberg decided that the story that we'd come up with was the right way for Shrek's journey to end..." In a 2014 interview with Fox Business Network, Katzenberg hinted that the fifth film still may be made. "We like to let them have a little bit of time to rest," he said of the characters. "But I think you can be confident that we'll have another chapter in the Shrek series. We're not finished, and more importantly, neither is he."
Spin-off[]
Main article: Puss in Boots (2011 film)
Puss in Boots is a computer-animated feature film that was released on October 28, 2011.[57] The movie is based on and follows the character of Puss in Boots on his adventures with Kitty Softpaws and mastermindHumpty Dumpty before his first appearance in Shrek 2.