- “It ain't ogre... til it's ogre”
- ―Tagline
Shrek Forever After (originally known as Shrek Goes Forth and also known as Shrek: The Final Chapter or Shrek 4 or Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter) is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure comedy film. It is the fourth in the Shrek franchise, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film premiered on April 21, 2010 at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was released by Paramount Pictures on May 21, 2010 in the United States. It was also released in 3D and IMAX 3D formats.
Despite receiving polarized reviews from film critics, the film was positively welcomed by the audience and was a box office success. It was the #1 film in the United States and Canada for three consecutive weeks and has grossed a worldwide total of $752 million. Additionally, Shrek Forever After is DreamWorks Animation's second highest-grossing film at the foreign box office.
Synopsis[]
Taking place after Shrek the Third, Shrek is now a family man and beloved among the local villagers. Yearning for the days when he was feared, he makes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin and accidentally wipes out his entire existence. To restore his existence, Shrek has to regain Fiona's love and kiss her before the sun rises, or he will disappear forever.
Plot[]
Before Shrek and Donkey rescue Princess Fiona in the first film, King Harold and Queen Lillian – desperate to lift their daughter's curse – meet with con artist Rumpelstiltskin, 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, 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. Due to a series of mishaps (particularly the fact that the birthday cakes were decorated with a "cute" Ogre named "Sprinkles"), Shrek loses his temper, roars at the public, smashes the second cake (in which the first one was eaten by the pigs) and walks out in anger. He and Fiona argue outside about his reaction, which ends with Shrek rashly but falsely 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 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 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, Shrek will fade from existence as well. 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 Do the Roar, Donkey helps him find a loophole: the contract will be nullified if Shrek and Fiona share true love's kiss. 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 as a pet.
Shrek does everything he can to gain Fiona's love, but she is 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 still does not truly love him; it is ineffective. She insists it's all a sunshine-and-flowers fairy tale.
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 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 first three films to Stevie Wonder's For Once In My Life.
Voice Cast[]
- Mike Myers as Shrek
- Eddie Murphy as Donkey
- Cameron Diaz as Fiona
- Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
- Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
- John Cleese as King Harold
- Walt Dohrn as Rumpelstiltskin, Krekraw
- Jon Hamm as Brogan
- Jane Lynch as Gretched
- Craig Robinson as Cookie
- Lake Bell as Patrol, Wagon Witch #2
- Kathy Griffin as Griselda, Wagon Witch #1
- Mary Kay Place as Guard Witch
- Kristen Schaal as Pumpkin Witch, Palace Witch
- Miles Bakshi as Farkle, Fergus
- Nina Bakshi as Felicia
- Conrad Vernon as Gingy
- Aron Warner as Wolf
- Christopher Knights as Three Blind Mice
- Cody Cameron as Pinocchio, Three Pigs
- Chris Miller as Magic Mirror, Geppetto
- Jeremy Steig as Pied Piper
- Larry King (U.S.)/Jonathan Ross (U.K.) as Doris the Ugly Stepsister
- Regis Philbin as Mabel the Ugly Stepsister
- Mike Mitchell as Witch Guard #2, Butter Pants (Do The Roar)
- Ryan Seacrest as Father of Butter Pants
See full cast at IMDB here
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." In October 2006, DreamWorks Animation revealed that the fourth film will be released in 2010.
Katzenberg announced a title for the fourth film in October 2007, Shrek Goes Fourth, explaining that "Shrek goes out into the world, forth!" However, in May 2009, DreamWorks Animation retitled the film to Shrek Forever After, indicating that it would be the last in the Shrek series. 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, 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." In May 2007, shortly before the release of the third film, it as announced that Mike Mitchell would go on board to direct the new installment. Much of the film was written and recorded in New York City.
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."[1] After the release of Shrek the Third in 2007, Katzenberg announced that the fifth film would be released in 2013.[2]
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.[3] 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."[4]
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 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..."[5]
However, the project was later brought back into development when Universal Studios bought DreamWorks.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Linder, Brian (May 17, 2004). "More Shrek". IGN. Retrieved on March 9, 2012.
- ↑ Partridge, Des. "More Shrek set to roll", June 7, 2007. Retrieved on February 23, 2012.
- ↑ "DreamWorks Animation Announces Plans to Release Five Feature Films Every Two Years", DreamWorks Animation, May 28, 2009. Retrieved on March 8, 2012.
- ↑ Wloszczyna, Susan. "First look: 'Shrek Forever After': Fourth, final film is first in 3-D", November 26, 2009. Retrieved on February 23, 2012.
- ↑ Eckerling, Debra. "We Asked ... Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, "Shrek Forever After"", May 18, 2010. Retrieved on March 10, 2012.
External links[]
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