Jay Dwivedi

When I first started to watch this film, I almost felt like turning the DVD off because it seemed so childish (a doubt that I often have with animation movies, particularly those that may be marketed to kids).  So if you get the same reaction, have some patience.

Obviously like Shrek Forever After film, children of all ages will find it entertaining, but this is a movie full of violence and there is a reason: behind its overly simplistic story of a bunch of owls fighting some bad guys, is a much more serious story of human beings and the battles they fight for power and money.

It is a very complex story with main characters Soren (Jim Sturgess) and Gylfie are kidnapped by a group of evil owls but inspired by stories that they heard during childhood, they are able to not only escape but also reach the almost a mythical group of owls, the Guardians of Ga’hoole, who then are able to defeat Metalbeak.  A powerful story that mirrors what we have seen in the history of mankind.  Recommended for fans of animation films.

The Shrek film series has been about providing wholesome family entertainment and it is one of those series which adults can enjoy as much as kids.  My first reaction to this film is that while children will still love their favorite characters and the excellent animation (there are several funny moments targeted at young ones), this is actually a movie for grownups.

Shrek has an existential crisis:     In this final film, Shrek (Mike Myers), who is now a father and has a stable marriage and family (and assuming that he is in his 40s), is going through a midlife crisis, and like any other American male, he is bored and tired.  He wants to be free, worries about his youth gone, and pines to be young again.

How Shrek realized what was important in life:   While we might rush to buy a new sports car or get a mistress or schedule an appointment with a shrink, there are magicians (Rumpelstiltskin) to help Shrek realize that what we have is more important than what we don’t.  A devious plan hatched by Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) would have completely erased all the beautiful things he had in Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and their three kids, but when he finds out that only falling in love all over again with Fiona and proving to her that he was in love, would nullify the nasty scheme, does he find out how much he really loved her.  And they live a happy life thereafter.  Strongly recommended, not just for families, but even for couples.