Reel Time Updates: Shrek Forever After

On Friday the weather started out gloomy and eventually disgorged a looping torrent of warm rain that took the already uncomfortable humidity to intolerable levels. However I was completely unaware of this onslaught, as I was seated in an upscale, air-conditioned theater taking in the latest (fourth) installment of Dreamworks’ Shrek series: Shrek Forever After.

Now, I’ll admit up front that I never saw Shrek the Third, and while the Shrek series has never been one of my favorites, I can see the appeal of the original movie, and perhaps even Shrek 2. However, bad reviews and my general apathy prevented me from ever viewing the third one. It didn’t really matter, though, as each film is able to stand alone for the most part.

The Trailers: I and my regular movie-going associate arrived at the theater quite early, and so were not only able to catch all of the trailers, but also all of the pre-trailer advertisements (which are glossed over and pawned off as “sneak peeks”). I recall seeing previews for: Marmaduke, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Prince of Persia (kind of a featurette), The Last Airbender, Despicable Me, The Karate Kid, and Megamind.

I hadn’t seen trailers for either of the first two films, but… as my friend repeatedly remarked, “Who asked for these?” I mean… adapting a movie from a single-panel comic strip originating in the 50s? Marmaduke is basically a remix of Scooby-Doo, Beethoven, Marley & Me and Homeward Bound. The plot, and probably the majority of the gags, have been done: suburban family copes with destructive, inconvenient animal.

As for Cats & Dogs 2… what? The first one was atrocious. I can usually find a few redeeming qualities in just about any film, no matter how poor the plot, acting, directing or dialog (I thought The Happening was a good watch), but Cats & Dogs had none. Zero. Zip. It was crap, and I cannot fathom why Warner Bros. felt compelled to create a sequel.

I’d seen all the rest of the trailers online at some point in time, but it was great to catch some of the newer stuff on the big screen, especially the Megamind preview. And… correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the title (and the title character) originally Oobermind? It seems like the first snippets of news regarding this film used that name, which I guess ended up being a working title. I personally prefer Oobermind because it’s quirky and different. Megamind sounds like the name of a bad 40s comic book villain. But I guess that’s the whole point.

My Take on Shrek Forever After: I enjoyed it, though many have correctly compared it to “It’s a Wonderful Life”, ogre style. Like some critics have remarked, the spark has mostly gone from a franchise that has seen better days, but the irreverent humor remains. The story seemed to progress as an amusing drunk, careening to and fro, but mostly in the same general direction, occasionally stumbling into a trash can or a bush and drawing a laugh.

The most enjoyable performance (and also the highlight of the film) was courtesy of Walt Dohrn (Rumpelstiltskin). While the rest of the voice-actors seemed to slog half-heartedly through their lines, newcomer Dohrn lent his character a sly, greasy quality that made you feel you would have despised him even sans villain status. I can’t help but feel that it was Dohrn’s inexperience as a professional voice-actor that enabled him to really go the extra mile in bringing his character to life.

Dohrn had previously only graced the crew list of features such as Madagascar, Shrek the Third, and several kids’ cartoons, contributing to writing and animation. However, while filling in as a script “reader” during recording sessions, Dohrn received compliments on his portrayal of the villainous “Rumpel” (who had not yet been cast), and a star was born.

All-in-all, Shrek 4 was good entertainment, especially for fans of the franchise. I’ve seen a lot better from Dreamworks, but then everyone says Shrek the Third was worse. I’m just glad they were able to acknowledge that the Shrek premise has grown old and tired, and put it to pasture. Apparently, they do still want to play the spin-off game, though, and give the Bambi-eyed Puss in Boots his own film. (Can’t let go of the franchise completely if there’s still the slightest chance they can make money off of it.)

Recommended if you like mindless entertainment, are a fan of the Shrek series, or just want to shut the kids up for an hour and a half. Be sure to show up early enough to catch the Megamind trailer, a brief glimpse of what will hopefully be somewhat better fare from Dreamworks (or at least something to tide us over until Kung Fu Panda 2).