Shrek Forever After is allegedly the end of the dynasty, breaking the idea of tricolon with a quadrilogy and, as with such august franchises that stuttered into a fourth instalment such as Lethal Weapon or Die Hard, it can be largely justified not through high art or philosophical digression, but simply that to end on a trilogy would frame the whole series with the disappointments of the third film. Shrek 4 is better than Shrek the Third which lost its comic touch in favour of epic grandstanding. Rumpelstiltskin is the kind of quicksilver villain, by turns charming, camp and megalomaniacal, that was missing last time round in the form of the vain lovers Prince Charming and Rapunzel. The trouble is the previous three made a play on the essence of the fairytale, if with diminishing returns - Shrek 4 doesn’t really have a point except as another romp, its key tropes already well-worn ones.
This is not to say it’s not enjoyable, with Rumpelstiltskin’s tartly malevolent goose, Fabergé Egg palace and Louis XVI-styling, little points that struck me, others have noted his fondness for cupcakes. His The Untouchables stalking of his witches’ coven in the manner of Al Capone affirms his gangsterish traits - it is maybe no coincidence that he so well drawn given that he voiced by Head of Story Walt Dorhn. Little new adornments of character pepper Shrek, Fiona or Donkey and their established consorts, although Puss in Boots gets a through the looking glass far from trim alter-ego.
Mike Myers promised this would be in 3D and was true to his word, though viewing it in 2D was hardly a disadvantage with the advances in computer technology. Pity there was a regression in the raison d’etre for the whole series. A story comes to an end and let‘s not be too cruel on a brave effort. Three out of five.