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The fourth installment in the Shrek franchise is the most polished example of the series.
With the ongoing dearth of children's films that parents can take their little ones to see before repeatedly watching the DVD until the kids incorporate every line of dialogue into their daily speech patterns, "Shrek Forever After" is reliably on target.
Even audiences unfamiliar with the franchise will fall into the slapstick tone and comic timing of the easily likable characters.
The premise is simple enough. Now happily settled down with his ogre wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and their three babies, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) yearns for the old days when every person and animal in the community feared his brutish gaze and stone-rattling roar.
Shrek's ennui presents a perfect opportunity for Rumpelstiltskin (wonderfully voiced by Walt Dohrn), a kooky little fantasy-maker con man, to entice Shrek into signing away a day of his childhood in exchange for living a day free of all familial constraints.
Naturally, the contract is a dirty trick played by the conniving Rumpelstiltskin so that he can take over as king of the Far Far Away kingdom forever after.
The theme of appreciating what you have while you have it is supported if only half-knowingly by Shrek's loyal pals Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and a considerably chubbier Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas).
Although the film's 3D effects seem extraneous, the spunky vocal characterizations are enjoyably spot-on and the jokes funny enough to elicit laughs from kids of all ages.
Rated PG. 95 mins.
