Shrek Forever After – The Final Chapter

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Director:

Mike Mitchell

Starring:

Mike Myers (Shrek);

Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona); Eddie Murphy (Donkey);

Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots); Walt Dohrn (Rumpelstiltskin)

Studio:

Dreamworks Animation & Paramount Pictures

Released:

May 20th 2010

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In the 4^th and final instalment of the Shrek series, Shrek starts to feel like he no longer lives up to the reputation of being an ‘ogre’ and longs for the times to be how they used to be, when people were scared and branded their pitchforks rather than asking him to autograph them. After losing his temper at his and wife Fiona’s triplets birthday party, he walks out on them all and gets swayed into signing a contract with the mysterious Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpel explains that in order for Shrek to be an ‘ogre for a day’ he must exchange it for a meaningless day in his past. Yet the evil midget and his pet goose Fifi trick Shrek into giving away a day, which means more than any other day in his life – the day he was born.

When Shrek finds himself on the ‘ogre for a day’ day, he soon realises that all is not what it seems, and after encountering a troupe of witches who are paid by Rumpel to round up ogres, he is caught and transported in a caged carriage pulled by Donkey! Donkey, who it transpires does not even know who Shrek is, pulls the carriage all the way to a slightly more sinister version of Far Far Away, where Rumpel has gained the whole kingdom from Fiona’s parents; King Harold and Queen Lillian.

After a dramatic escape from the palace, Shrek rescues Donkey and persuades him that he is a kind ogre, and only wants to get his life back. Once persuading Donkey, Shrek has to decide how to hunt down Fiona, and starts to trace his steps to where he first met Fiona; the Dragon’s Keep. Only he finds that Fiona has already gone, and uses Donkey’s nose to track her scent – instead hunting down a pile of honey waffles.

This however, was just a trap set up by none other than the all new Warrior Princess Fiona’s gang of ogres forming a revolution against Rumpelstiltskin and his witches. After many failed attempts at wooing Fiona for the only way to break his contract – Love’s True Kiss, his persistence persuades Puss in Boots – Fiona’s over groomed, over fed and now extremely over weight fat cat, that Shrek is the one true love of Fiona.

After more escapades including an evil Pied Piper and some intelligence by Donkey for once, Shrek and Fiona lead the revolution into the palace at Far Far Away, battling the endless amounts of witches, the dragon who guarded Fiona’s tower, Donkey’s wife and mother of his children (How that happened, I guess we will never know..) and a dramatic attempt at a last minute getaway by Rumpel on his trusted Fifi; the dramatic battle between ogre and witch finishes. As Fiona realises that Shrek has risked everything to save her, she falls in love with him all over again – just as daybreak occurs, and Shrek’s time runs out, she administers the kiss and as everyone and everything in the palace suddenly vanishes, Shrek regains consciousness back at his children’s party, where he realises how much he loves Fiona. This really is a happily ever after story for the last Shrek movie, however all is not lost.. as in 2011, there will be a Puss in Boots movie spin off.

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My rating;

Acting/Animation: 5/5

Plot: 4/5

Opening: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

TOTAL: 17/20 (85%)

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Next 2 reviews;

Wanted

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

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Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3

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Director:

Lee Unkrich

Starring:

Tom Hanks (Woody); Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear);

Joan Cusack (Jessie); Ned Beatty (Lots-O-Huggin' Bear)

Studio:

Pixar Animation Studios & Walt Disney Pictures

Released:

June 12th 2010

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The last in the trilogy of the largest grossing animated movies of all time, has got to be one of the best films of 2010. With everything a big scale action movie needs; the good guys, the evil guys, large scale escape plans, a little romance and a couple of tear jerking moments in there too, Toy Story 3 ends the animation epic in tremendous style.

As soon as the film starts you are thrust into a western style action sequence in which Sheriff Woody and Jessie with their trusted steed Bullseye are in pursuit of evil versions of Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Andy’s resident toy spuds. Soon we find out that this is just a flashback of when Andy – the film’s toy protagonist’s owner – was younger and used to play with them all, which builds up the gradual storyline of how in Andy now being 17 has to leave for college and will need to clear his room out – including his toys.

When things go awry thanks to Andy’s mum, the toys find themselves at a day care for little children, where 12 hours a day and 5 days a week, playtime is promised to them. At first, it seems a pleasant place, according to Rex because “there’s a rainbow painted on the door.” Then after meeting a strawberry smelling plush teddy bear who likes lots ‘a hugs, the toys discover that all is not actually as it seems.

When Woody finds himself saved from day care by a kind toddler named Bonnie, he resolves to try and save his friends and get them back to Andy’s attic where they were intended to be placed, he returns to day care finds that a new regime has been put into place by the ‘cuddly bear’ who turns out to be as evil as a toy could get. All Woody’s friends are now imprisoned, including Mr Potato Head who has been placed in ‘The Box’ as a punishment. All while being guarded by a different Buzz; an evil Buzz.

It’s at this point where things start to unfold. With a master escape plan concocted by Woody, the gang get moving. Without giving too much away, the plan involves a Spanish Buzz, an evil screeching monkey, a tortilla and a bust up between toy lovers Barbie and Ken.

After things take a turn for the worst and all the toys are taken to the rubbish dump along with the evil bear that has been thrown out by his reformed henchmen. Henchtoys. Things then start to heat up, literally as the gang make their way into the incinerator, all deciding that the end will come as they hold hands and close their eyes... *cue the tears*

Yet they are saved, by three mysterious figures controlling ‘The Claw.’ It is now, that Lotso, the villainous strawberry bear, gets his comeuppance, and the toys return to their owner. As Andy says farewell to his mum, he picks up his toy box and notices a post-it note, written by Woody moments before. As the film draws to a close, Andy stops by Bonnie’s house on the way to college, and gives his toys to her, one by one, finally letting go of his childhood and passing his brilliant toys onto someone else. Finally, as Andy hands over Woody, another tear jerking moment occurs, and as Bonnie goes for lunch, and Andy drives off into the distance while his toys look on, it really is a happy ending.

With a brilliant and clever storyline, adding humour and sadness, villainy and heroicness, Toy Story 3 is an animation epic. Whether or not Woody or Buzz or Jessie or even Rex ever return to our movie screens in the future, the trilogy was given a brilliant send off, with the people who have grown up alongside Andy saying farewell to his toys with him, the emotional, adventurous and sometimes dangerous journey is over for them all.

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My rating;

Acting/Animation: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Opening: 4/5

Ending: 5/5

TOTAL: 19/20 (95%)

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Next 2 reviews;

Shrek Forever After - The Final Chapter

Wanted

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Lights, Camera, Action!

Hey, Mark here.

So here is my new blog, in which because I am rather bored a lot, and tend to spend a lot of my evenings nowadays watching films, I decided to follow suit of someone else at my school and do a blog in which I will do a film review for of the films that I watch :)

No-one will probably actually read this haha, but it gives me something to do :D

Anyhow, enjoy..

My first review will be up soon, seeing as I recently bought a large number of DVDs, so I think I will be starting with one of the best films of 2010.. Visit back to find out what!

So here I am, about to start the journey into film reviewing ;) Lights, camera, action!

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