14 DAY TRIAL // In May 2010, the fourth and final installment in the “Shrek” franchise will see the light of day, arriving in theaters in 3D and IMAX. Until then, though, fans should know that the film has already premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and initial reviews are anything but positive, though there’s little doubt as to its potential of becoming a blockbuster, as The Hollywood Reporter informs.
THR was in the audience at the film festival, but it’s not bringing the good news that fans might have been expecting as regards the fourth take on the lovable ogre story. It’s not that the movie is bad, says the review, but rather that it gives off a clear feeling that it’s all been done before and perhaps the world did not need to see the same thing over and over again. The entire film comes across as forced, one last attempt at milking the franchise of all it was worth – one that fans could have lived without.
“Bottom Line: This fourth installment in the popular animated franchise demonstrates it may finally be time to let Shrek and Fiona live happily ever after. You know that a film franchise is beginning to tire when its central character is in the throes of a midlife crisis. Such is the case with the lovable ogre in Shrek Forever After, the fourth and promised final film in the animated series that has proven a moneymaking machine in its last three incarnations,” THR writes.
Of course, not being able to rise to all expectations doesn’t mean that “Shrek 4” will not sell well or even make a killing at the box-office. Just like many other, perhaps even poorer movies, “Forever After” also comes in 3D and IMAX, which almost guarantees it makes an extra buck in ticket sales for the simple fact that tickets cost more than those for films in traditional, 2D format. The fact that “Shrek 4” also includes more action scenes, somewhat to the detriment of the story, will also ensure it spends at least a couple of weeks atop the box office, the same review says.
“Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke’s screenplay creates some fun with the personality and visual changes the familiar characters have undergone, but as with so many sequels to sequels, Shrek Forever After has lost much of the simple charm, humor and heart that marked its predecessors. No doubt looking to exploit the sensory stimulation offered by 3D, the filmmakers have ramped up the action. […] The 3D effects are undeniably impressive, but like many other examples of this increasingly popular form, some of the visual quality is sacrificed with the inevitable image darkening. The fact that much of the story is set in a literally bleaker landscape doesn’t help matters,” THR adds.
For the full “Shrek Forever After” review, see here. The film comes in US theaters on May 21.