5/50: Shrek Forever After

OK. I have stated before how much I love the Shrek franchise. The first Shrek is one of my favorite cartoons of all time. And, I have liked each additional Shrek along the way as well - probably each a little less than the previous.

I think it is good that this last one was, in fact, the last Shrek. Shrek Forever After was decent. I laughed a few times and it was sort of cool to see what exactly would have happened had Shrek not rescued Fiona. But, it sort of fizzled out and didn't have that certain special something that the other films had before it.

In a look back we see that Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) were about to make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) that would give him their castle and rule if he could have their daughter rescued. But, before they signed on the dotted line, they get word that their daughter has been rescued - by Shrek (Mike Myers) of course from the first film.

Back in present time it is the ogre babies birthday party and Shrek is really freaking out. He loves his family and friends, but he longs for the days that he was feared and was a normal ogre. After freaking out at the party, Shrek starts walking home and gets picked up by Rumpelstiltskin - he makes him feel at home and gets him to sign an agreement that would give Shrek one day as his old ogre self and all he would have to give up is a day from his past - so Shrek agrees.

Well, it turns out that the day Rumpelstiltskin got rid of was his birthday - so Shrek was never born. And, in this new world, Rumpelstiltskin is now the ruler and witches terrorize everyone. Fiona and other ogres are trying to lead a rebellion against Rumpelstiltskin; Puss In Buss (Antonia Banderas) is a fat cat; and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) is singing and pulling a wagon for the witches.

There is only one way to break the spell and it is up to Shrek to figure out what it is before the day is over - or things will remain this way forever.

Like I said, not a horrible film, but compared to the Shrek's before it there is really no comparison. Also, I am not sure who this Walt Dohrn is. Did they run out of money on this film? Why could they not get a well-known voice for the part? Also, I think it would have been a fun idea to have Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) return when everything changed - it would have been a great way to tie all of the movies together.

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