MOVIEBEAT WITH BLAIR: A SWEET ENDING TO “SHREK” FRANCHISE
From radio broadcast on May 24, 2010 as heard on HeartBeat Radio for Women (Tune in to hear movie reviews on-air every Monday at 4:30 pm on 1410 AM):
Just like an onion, a film franchise has layers that it sheds with each additional film to its collection. Some are good; some are decent; some are downright awful.
For the lovable, green galoot named Shrek, the last layer to shed turns out to be a bittersweet ending to a beloved film series.
The news of a fourth film to the Shrek franchise may have made even fans of the trumpet-eared ogre cringe from the memories of the less-than-par “Shrek 2″ and disastrous “Shrek 3.” Please don’t remind me of the latter!
However, the last movie, entitled “Shrek Forever After,” concluded the story on a lighthearted note.
“Forever After” picks up where the second sequel dumped audiences out, showing Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) embarking on their newest journey as parents of triplets.
Life takes on a new pace with three children and Shrek secretly longs for the days when people feared his presence and he was the sole resident of the swamp.
Yet little does Shrek know that someone hears of his woes of solitude and gives him an offer that he really can’t refuse.
As always, the characters make the story come to life and the villain of the film, Rumpelstiltskin (voiced by Walt Dohrn) even parallels the dastardly delightful Lord Farquaad from the first film in personality, humor and overall evil plot.
The foursome of Shrek and Fiona included with the outrageous Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and suave Puss ‘n’ Boots (Antonio Banderas) keep the antics light and fun, though the jokes still feel as though they are just repeats or castoffs from the original film’s storyline.
The film’s message carries yet again another true to life lesson that children and adults can understand and use in their own lives, but it doesn’t create any new advice or ideas that are different from what the three other movies did before.
In the end, “Shrek Forever After” may just be a film that you watch as a nostalgic trip back to the original “Shrek” when everything was newer, funnier and easier to fall in love with. It’s a layer that is worth peeling back one last time.
Three Heartbeats
DVD Rental: Extraordinary Measures – A touching depiction of one family’s pursuit of finding a cure for a debilitating childhood disease, the film is heartwarming and well-acted by Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. Fraser and Ford have great acting chemistry with one another and work well playing against type for each; Ford playing a cranky scientist and Fraser a determined father that combine their talents to make great events happen. Highlights on the DVD include a first-hand account from the real-life family of the film.
Three and a half Heartbeats
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