2/5
(15+) US. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy
Undeterred by the lacklustre Shrek the Third, the series returns for a fourth film – and this time, it’s gone sci-fi. Shrek ends up in a parallel universe after tiring of the monotony of both fatherhood and local celebrity. In his current life, no one is scared of him, and busloads of tourists peer at the swamp home he shares with wife Princess Fiona (Diaz) and their cute green babies. So Shrek goes AWOL and bumps into a wandering little guy called Rumpelstiltstkin.
The plot is initially involving – and if it’s too complex for toddlers, it compensates with humour, visual invention and a 3D wow factor. This can’t match the original’s laugh count, though, and the story wears thin. Still, with warmth and charm, Shrek Forever After is an entertaining conclusion to the franchise – one that parents should happily endure. But let’s hope that’s all, folks.
