I have never really understood this overwhelming passion for Shrek under which the world seems to labor. I remember thinking it was okay, mildly amusing even, certainly not the worst movie I’d ever seen. I was therefore unprepared for the onslaught of enthusiastic, almost evangelical, praise the damn movie received from the media, and many of my acquaintance. “Have you seen Shrek yet?” they demanded. “How good is Shrek?” Isn’t Shrek just the best thing ever?” “So funny! So clever! The songs! The parody!” Yes, yes, okay, settle down, folks. It was mildly entertaining with flashes of occasional brilliance (“Do you know the Muffin Man?”), but was by and large, nothing special. And the anachronistic soundtrack thing was also being done -- and being done much better -- by Moulin Rouge! and A Knight’s Tale around that time, so even that source of much wonder seemed kind of flat and ho hum to me.

I recall being affronted when Shrek went on to win the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2002 over Disney Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. (and, perhaps less surprisingly, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius). Not that a win for Monster’s Inc. would have redressed the unfairness of the Academy’s belated decision to give out this award (had it been around in the 90’s, Disney’s trophy cabinet would be overflowing: The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King… Hell, Beauty and the Beast was nominated for the regular Best Picture Oscar!), but at least it would have made sense to me. Pixar’s second feature (following the marvelous Toy Story) was a unique, hilarious and deeply layered experience, while I felt Shrek was a mere one-note farce. (Personally, I think Pixar was snubbed because they cast John Goodman, and for some reason John Goodman’s genius continues to go unrecognized. But at least The Incredibles beat out Shrek 2 in 2004.)

Which brings us to Shrek Forever After. Sure, I watched Shreks 2 and 3, along with Shrek the Halls and I’ve even seen Shrek 4-D, the DVD based on the Universal Studios ride. Mostly not by choice, but sometimes needs must. And I never really hated watching them (though the Shrek 4-D thing was pretty pointless), but I am hardly in a hurry to watch them again. Frankly, when it comes to kids’ fare, I’d always felt I'd rather watch the mind-numbing Little Einsteins on endless repeat (“Yay, Dvorak!”) than endure the vulgar ogre and his sundry tribulations.

Shrek 4 (Forever After, The Last Chapter, what have you) was therefore not high on my list of Fun, but I went anyway, and, um…

So, uh, marital problems, huh? A mid-life crisis? Are we really doing this, Shrek Forever After? Are we really turning this kids’ flick into an Edward Burns movie? Oh, no, wait, you’re turning this kids’ flick into It’s a Wonderful Life. I get it. And…

Actually, this is kind of brilliant.

I’m not entirely sure when I stopped being disdainful and really started liking this movie. Maybe it was when they used my favorite Carpenters song. Or when the witches who captured Shrek started singing along to “The Greatest Love of All.” Or maybe in the orgiastic clubbing scene of villain Rumpelstiltskin, reminiscent of Matrix Reloaded. I think it was definitely music-based. But, anyway, I surprised myself mightily by really getting in to Shrek Forever After, loving how cursed Princess Fiona, tired of waiting, went ahead and rescued herself and thence turned all Warrior Princess, heading up the Ogre Resistance. I even found myself sorry when this movie came to an end (whereas, the ends of Shrek 2 and 3 definitely couldn’t have came fast enough for me). I even teared up! And now I kind of want to go back and watch all those Shreks that came before, give them another shot. Maybe I’ve been wrong all these years. It’s even possible Shrek deserved that Oscar, after all. (But much as I liked it, if it triumphs over Toy Story 3 in 2011, I shall be most displeased.)

  -- Rachel Hyland

NEXT >