Release: June 17

Running time: 93 minutes

Rating: PG

Finally! This is it – the last film in the Shrek film series. Shrek: Forever After is directed by Mike Mitchell whose previous directorial credits includes the awful Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and  forgettable Sky High. Mitchell is the latest in a line of directors for the franchise, including Andrew Adamson (Shrek and Shrek 2) and Chris Miller (Shrek the Third).

This fourth film begins with the revelation that Princess Fiona’s parents had initially sought rogue magician, Rumpelstiltskin (voiced by seasoned American voice actor, Walter Dohrn) in an attempt to get their ogre daughter Fiona (Cameron Diaz) back. Set Before the events of the original Shrek, King Harold and Queen Lillian (John Cleese and Julie Andrews), were to sign a deal with Rumplestiltskin stipulating that he would receive the throne in exchange for the removal of her ogre curse. Unfortunately for their plans, Shrek rescuses Fiona (as per the first film) causing the last-minute cancellation of their deal.

The film quickly reverts to where Shrek the Third left off. Ever since Shrek (reprised by Mike Myers) and Fiona obtained their "forever after" - with triplets in tow, Shrek has been living a peaceful, yet uneventful life in his swamp. Like many fathers, he soon starts to feel disillusioned by his newfound family life. No one is afraid of him anymore and every single day has become a monotonous routine. Shrek begins to long for the days when he was single, wild and widely feared.

In an attempt to re-live the excitement from those sweet, lamentable days, Shrek absent-mindedly gave his consent to Rumpelstiltskin to take one day from any day in his childhood in an exchange to live life as a real ogre again. This deal inadvertently transports Shrek to an alternate universe where he never existed and no-one knows him. Soon, he realises he needs to race against time to return to his original world before he truly disappears from the face of Far Far Away.

The main problem with this film is that it has taken itself too seriously and doesn't have the same type of parodical quality found in the first and second films. The new additions to the cast – Rumpelstiltskin plus a number of forgettable ogres and witches – are uninteresting and annoying. Not only is Rumpelstiltskin’s whiny voice irritating (personally, I find Lord Farquaad a more formidable villain), he’s just not as entertaining as Prince Charming or as memorable as Fairy Godmother.

Laughs are often few and far in between (from adults and children alike) during the screening. The wit and sarcasm so abundant previously has somewhat disappear in this instalment. Let’s not talk about jumping the shark; this film has committed suicide on an otherwise fine series. 

The only highlights from the film are the glimpse of Puss in Boots as a fat and domesticated pet cat to Fiona and a child at the triplets' first birthday party demanding Shrek “do the roar”.

But “do the roar”, Shrek did not. This film is definitely a toothless tiger and a complete disappointment.

Pass.

Ching Yee Choo