Shrek Forever After (2010)
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The story
Shrek, now a well-known family man and local celebrity, finds himself longing for the simpler days when he was a feared ogre and enjoyed his solitude. During a celebration for his children's first birthday, a series of mishaps leads to a heated confrontation with his wife, Fiona. This emotional outburst provides an opening for the deceitful imp Rumpelstiltskin to appear. Rumpelstiltskin offers Shrek a magical deal: in exchange for a day of his childhood being erased, Shrek will get to experience one day as a 'real ogre.' Shrek signs the contract, and is whisked away into an alternate reality where the consequences of his choice begin to unfold.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Years ago, Rumpelstiltskin held a grudge against Shrek for ruining his plan to claim the Kingdom of Far Far Away. In the present, Shrek's frustration with his domestic life leads him to sign a contract with Rumpelstiltskin to spend one day as a 'real ogre' in exchange for a day of his past. This sends him to a dystopian reality where he never existed, and Rumpelstiltskin rules as king. Shrek teams up with Donkey to find a way to break the contract, which requires a 'true love's kiss.' They join forces with a resistance of ogres led by a still-cursed Fiona and a lazy Puss in Boots. After a series of battles and a failed attempt to convince Fiona to kiss him, Shrek turns himself in to Rumpelstiltskin to free the other ogres. As the sun rises and Shrek begins to fade from existence, Fiona kisses him, breaking the curse and returning them to their original timeline. Shrek awakens at the moment of his outburst but chooses to embrace his family and friends instead of lashing out.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Mitchell
- Writers
- Josh Klausner · writer; Darren Lemke · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mike Myers · Shrek; Eddie Murphy · Donkey; Cameron Diaz · Princess Fiona; Antonio Banderas · Puss in Boots; Julie Andrews · Queen Lillian; John Cleese · King Harold; Walt Dohrn · Rumpelstiltskin
- Genres
- animated; fantasy; comedy
- Themes
- identity; sacrifice; true love
- Setting
- Far Far Away
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; parallel universes; wish fulfillment
- Source material / true-story basis
- Shrek! by William Steig
- Franchise connections
- Shrek
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was well-received by audiences, earning an 'A' grade on CinemaScore.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 35; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled Shrek Goes Fourth.; The film was intended to be the final film in the series, but a fifth film was announced in 2024.; The film's distribution rights changed multiple times between 2014 and 2018.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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