"How's that for a metaphysical paradox?"The fourth and allegedly 'final' chapter in the Shrek movie franchise addresses a lot of the faults with the bloated and lacklustre third entry, creating a surprisingly low-key and effective return to form. This is not, however, a relentless children's animated comedy. Shrek Forever After has a fairly simple and limited plot, which lends itself to a tightly-constructed and focused narrative with real emphasis on drama and character. The breezy, irreverent inventiveness of the first two films is replaced here with a more thoughtful and mature consideration of the nature of responsibility and appreciating what one has in life - like Shrek himself, this movie franchise has had to move on and grow up. The laughs are definitely there, as usual largely from Eddie Murphy's ever-energetic Donkey and the film-stealing Gingerbread Man, and the visual gags are often spot on. The 3D rendering of the characters is impressive, and the action set-pieces (mostly involving flying - the witches, Dragon) provide good eye candy. The 'alternative universe' reinvention of the first movie never feels lazy or forced, and by re-setting the characters and their relationships, the leads are given plenty to do both in terms of narrative and emotion, making Shrek Forever After a satisfying conclusion to the series.
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