Shrek Forever After

The third Shrek sequel plays like It’s a Wonderful Shrek, with the green ogre finding out what the world would be like if he didn’t exist. After getting sick of his daily routine changing diapers and having his mud baths interrupted by tour buses, Shrek (Mike Myers) makes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to have one day like it was before he became famous for saving Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). He fails to read the fine print on the deal and winds up in a parallel universe where Rumpelstiltskin rules, Fiona is an outlaw, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is fat, and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) doesn’t know him. You can see this installment in 3-D (I saw it in an IMAX theater out of town), and the visuals are impressive. It does result in Shrek flying around a lot, which becomes a bit repetitive. Overall, you get some good laughs, but it’s a darker chapter that doesn’t necessarily finish the series on a major triumphant note. I have a hard time believing that this is it for Shrek, but it has been marketed as the final chapter in the series, so there you go.