Shrek Forever After

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BadNews R The fourth installment in the Shrek franchise, Shrek Forever After, takes the series in a different direction — and while it’s not a bad film, it definitely doesn’t reach the same heights as the first three. One of the biggest positives is consistency: the original cast stuck around not only through the main films but also through the shorts and side projects, keeping the voices and personalities we’ve grown to love intact. That loyalty to continuity is something DreamWorks deserves credit for, because it keeps the world of Shrek cohesive and familiar. Story-wise, however, this one leans heavily into the alternate-universe concept. The focus on Shrek’s midlife crisis and his longing for freedom from the responsibilities of fatherhood sends a strange message at times, almost suggesting that parenthood is a burden rather than a joy. I understand what they were going for — starting with Shrek’s personal growth, then Fiona, then marriage and pregnancy, and now children — but instead of centering the story on the kids as you might expect, the children are sidelined. Rumpelstiltskin serves as the villain, and while he’s serviceable, he doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Lord Farquaad, Prince Charming, or the Fairy Godmother. He’s mischievous and manipulative, but he lacks that truly menacing quality that made the earlier villains iconic. The real problem is that this film strips away too much of Shrek’s lovable grumpiness and instead paints him as bitter, resentful, and outright hateful for a good portion of the runtime. That shift makes it harder to root for him or even enjoy his journey. It feels less like a fairy-tale parody with heart and more like a midlife crisis comedy wrapped in fantasy packaging. That said, it’s still worth a watch, especially if you’ve followed the franchise this far. It keeps the storyline complete, and there are moments of humor, heart, and cleverness sprinkled throughout. But compared to the first three, it feels like the magic got bogged down in the swamp. Would I rewatch it? Probably, but not nearly as often as the others. It’s more of a “completionist” entry — good enough to see where the story goes, but not essential in the way the earlier films are. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 Full Review Blu B It's better than 3 but such a downgrade still from the first two. It's not bad overall. Animation wise it's the best looking out of the four for sure. It starts out really fast and setting everything up and is defintely the best part. Than once the new reality happens it just slowly gets bogged down. First off it keeps throwing nostaglia at you with locations, characters, and scenes from the first mostly that just make you wish you were watching the first. Second the whole plot in the middle with Fionna as a rebel leader against Rumpelstiltskin is just...kind of bizarre. It feels almost like a post apocalyptic world than anything Shrek related. And finally it pretty much follows the exact same beats you think it's going too. Rumpelstiltskin starts out a cool villian but the more it goes the more over the top, annyoing, and cliche he becomes it feels like. Just another 007 villian he becomes. Than it has everyone pretty much just following the smae arcs they did in the first save for Shrek. And it all just feels like a combinaton of muddled, beats we've already hit, things that are out of place, and nothing that special. It makes perfect sense though. The humor is a bit flat but not terrible at the same time. Overall, it's a better note to end things on. If your a hardcore fan of any voice actors in this or the franchise give this a watch especially if you sat through 3.. But most woud be best served staying with the first two classics. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/03/25 Full Review C D schaffrillas moment real Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/25/25 Full Review SL G Not that goot really! Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/25 Full Review flopper p I wish Shrek wanted Fiona's death... Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review Coltan B I grew up watching Shrek, watched the 1st movie right after I was born and brought home from the hospital back in 2007 (it was the only DVD we had at the time) As I grew, I still love all Shrek movies and they will always have a special place in my heart. This one I really like and is one of the best Dreamworks Animation movies I have ever watched and one of my Top 10 favorite movies. When I watch this movie, I like to think that Shrek was traveling through the multiverse to another universe where he was never born. 100/100 is the score. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Shrek Forever After

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