Shrek Forever After teaser trailer

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(Thanks, Iain Robbins)

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  • Phil

    Best part of that trailer was “The Last Chapter”. c:

  • Mike!

    Boring homogenized characters + plot lift from “It’s a Wonderful Life” + tired pop culture references + easy fat cat jokes (Garfield, anyone?) + soundtrack featuring another butchered classic + 3-D + ??? = PROFIT!

  • Keith Paynter

    …and…I…am…outta here!

  • http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/mjf7583 Michael F.

    It’s the final chapter…until they realize how profitable the franchise is and get a fifth churned out.

  • owen

    FINALLY! I’ve been waiting since I saw the very first one to see the FOURTH ONE

  • Jared Pettitt

    it’s going to be so awesome when i don’t see this

  • http://thelinknewspaper.com Christopher Olson

    I swore it was stated there was going to be five films in total.

  • Tom D

    Remember when they threatened something like seven Shart movies? Four and out sounds a lot better to me.

    Of course, the Puss in Boots spinoff is still waiting in the wings.

  • http://acmecartoons.blogspot.com/ Thinkbolt

    ^^ Jared said what I was gonna say.

  • Scott

    I’m not gonna disagree entirely, but it DOES “look” better than the other three. Not that it’s what matters.

  • Johan

    Jumping the Shark will know be rephrased as Jumping the Shrek

  • Jam

    Honestly the film looks a hundred times more interesting than the typical “everything is lame” fanboy comments thus far. The character animation looks spectacular.

  • Donald C.

    The animation is fine.
    It’s the story and characters I’m concerned about.

  • Ron

    Jesus this anti-DW pile on is a depressing routine.

    I know nothing about the movie. But I do know Mike Mitchell can be a very funny guy, so I have a hunch this may be a pleasant surpise.

  • squirrel

    Can you imagine the irony when I noticed an online news headline that read “4th Shrek Film May Be Last”.

    Um….. DU’h.

  • Isaac

    “Hey man, I didn’t like DreamWorks way before not liking DreamWorks was cool.”

    Really, DreamWorks knows their audience. Their audience wants animated Seinfeld, and DreamWorks delivers. It’s like complaining people like Scrubs, or Friends, or… Seinfeld.

  • Donald C.

    I liked the first two.
    But the 3rd one has left me doubting.

    I’ll have to wait and see.

  • http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=052C631F61EE2838 Iain

    I don’t mind the trailer too much, I hope however this will be a little better than the last movie featuring that annoying King Arthur voiced by Justin Timberlake.

    Something I noticed is that this is gonna be the first (and assumingly last) “Shrek” movie to be produced in 2.35:1 widescreen, and in IMAX that would be the equivalent to a fullscreen letterbox. So wouldn’t Dreamworks instead go back to 16:9 and actually fill up the IMAX screen to suit one of the definitions of the big green ogre?

  • fishmorgjp

    What, another one? Did somebody forget to flush, or what?

  • http://ukracattack.blogspot.com RacattackForce

    Personally, as long as its better than Shrek the Third, I’m okay with this movie.

  • Jeffrey McAndrew

    I dislike Shrek just as much as the next fanboy, if not more. I still have nightmaric flashbacks of Shrek the Halls when I see it on sale at Target. However there are a lot more worthy movie franchises to hate besides Shrek. For example there are 13 thats THIRTEEN Land Before Time Movies so far! Then there is the “Scary Movie” franchise which has 4 films so far with the 5th in production and a long line of other terrible parody films including Not Another Teen Movie, Disaster Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans, and more that I’m forgetting. Right now though my favorite film series to hate are the Garfield and Alvin and the Chipmunk ones and I have the feeling that they are just getting started. And God, I’d even take more Rugrats movies before seeing another installment of Ice Age. I’m going to go take a long shower now.

  • Sherrie

    The animation looks fine, but the “what would the world be like if I never existed” plot doesn’t interest me.

  • Kyle

    The first Shrek was funny and my kids enjoyed it. Shrek 2 was also funny and added some new characters that kept the storyline going. My measure for the strength of an animated film is if my kids ask to see it in the theatre, then ask to buy the DVD, and then if they ask to watch that DVD often. That happened with the first 2 films. They’ve watched them both a lot.

    Shrek 3 was bad, that’s all I can say. A really bad film that wasn’t worth buying on DVD, and my kids have NEVER asked to watch it.

    And now, Shrek 4. Whoa. I just watched the trailer with my young son, and we both looked at each other and said at the same time: “That wasn’t funny at all. It looks really boring.” Enough said.

  • EB

    Never understood the Shrek hate. First two movies were enjoyable, third was mixed. YMMV of course.

  • http://www.frankpanucci.com FP

    Shrek movies would be okay if it wasn’t for all the horrible pop songs shoved in everywhere. Last one I saw was #2. Nice enough, some killer animation, but I kept hitting the mute button.

  • Sylvain

    Is this from the PDI studio or from the Dreamworks studio ?

    Everyone is making the distinction when talking about Disney and Pixar, you know because they are different studios with the same guys at the helm… Just asking, I don’t know whether PDI and Dreamworks are still separate or not. Are they ?

    I’m not ruling it out, it -looks- great at least, but it starts with a severe handicap because of Shrek 3, which was terrible. They have a lot of work to do, to recover from that.

  • http://animationapocalypse.blogspot.com/ Baron Lego

    There’s going to be some sort of Garfield/lasagna reference waiting in the wings with that Puss in Boots character being fat and all. I’d bet money on it.

  • Pedro Nakama

    If this movie fails studio execs will think animation is dead and stop making animated films.

  • Mike Johnson

    I will admit to laughing out loud at Puss-in-boots sliding down the scratching post. THAT was comedy gold…

    Still, the rest of the trailer was just sort of “blah” though I think it’s still too early to tell whether or not this will be any good. It’ll probably be harmless fun for the kids at worst, but I would agree that the whole Shrek franchise needs to be retired. I think that there’s not much else that can be done with it.

    Still, I think the Puss-in-boots film could be great fun if it’s written well. Puss is certainly the most charismatic of the entire Shrek troupe, and I’m really hopeful that it will be made, even if this latest Shrek effort tanks.

  • Sara H.

    I saw some clips from this movie when I was visiting the Dreamworks studio recently, it looked as funny as the others to me. A lot better than ‘train your dragon’ anyway, the character designs they had up in the hallways were for that were cringe-worthy.

  • Feh.

    I like the plot of this.

    Or, I should say, I just like the idea of Shrek never having existed. That’s just a wonderful fantasy, and I have to give this trailer credit for putting such a delightful thought into my mind and making me smile.

    Then I remembered that this movie is actually coming out. Then I got depressed again.

  • Ryoka

    It looks so…fake?

  • J

    Looks pretty good, I reckon. Maybe Shrek has been milked but each film should be judged on its own merit.

  • J

    “What would the world be like if I never existed” sounds great when we’re talking about Shrek! ;)

  • corey

    I can’t wait to not see this!

  • Robert Barker

    If it wasn’t for Shrek 3, I’d be happy to see this. They re-branded it for kiddies and their mommies with that one. I hate watching little Shreks and Donkeys running around, not being cute. If they could recapture the spirit of 1 and 2, I’d be there, but skepticism reigns.

  • Scarabim

    I’m seeing this for one reason:

    DRAGON!!!!

    Who, by the way, is far more dragon-like, and therefore cool, than that winged horned toad flapping around in “How To Train Your Dragon”. Ecchhh.

  • MB

    I saw a big chunk of this and have to say the villain is incredible. The animation on him was inspired and voice is great (not some Hollywood star voice, just the right choice) Might even be the best one yet. Certainly better than the 3rd.

  • http://dailygrail.com/blog/8389 red pill junkie

    Like other previous commenters, I’m a fan of the first 2; but the 3rd one was dull.

    I will probably end up renting it, though. I still need more incentive.

  • Yude

    Unlike the horde of slavish fanboys here posting negative comments I have actually seen the whole film and can comment with some credibility.

    Not only is it by far the best shrek yet, its a good film and I think a lot of people will be surprised by the honest storytelling and darker feel of this one.

  • Rodrigo

    All I’m going to say is that Mike Mitchell is a funny dude.

  • http://chippyandloopus.com/ John S

    Oh, there’s a surprise, everybody on this board (with few exceptions) is falling all over themselves to heap abuse and derision on this movie without even seeing it. What a funny bunch you all are!
    Group think at it’s finest!
    Mike Mitchell is a damned funny guy, the crew is talented and the film is funny.
    How about waiting for the movie to come out BEFORE you decide it’s terrible? If you don’t want to pay for it, go to one of those horrid ASIFA screening with all of the other mouthbreathers.
    Merry Christmas!

  • http://kirbydream.com/ Leirin

    “Jumping the Shrek” — nice one. While I do think the DreamWorks bashing is needless, I will admit I’ve never been a fan of their movies and have only bought Over the Hedge, maybe Kung Fu Panda some day eventually. This trailer’s a bit bland, and while I do think they’re milking this franchise way too much, I must say the movie seems decent. Plot is isn’t anything amazing, but it’s much more exciting in comparison to the mediocre (or should I say, “mediogre”) threequel that was Shrek 3.

  • Daniel M.

    Sylvain- PDI and Dreamworks may be two different studios, but by no means are they DIFFERENT studios. Many projects are worked on between the two, Dragons is one of them…

    Also, many of the artists move from the Glendale studio to the Redwood City/PDI studio just because the choice of location, and vice versa..I wouldn’t really distinguish the two as separate in that much of a way…

    besides the fact that the PDI studio has an on site gym…

    And finally, the DW haters are finally getting the backlash they deserve on this site. Just remember, it takes a lot more effort and muscle to make a frown than it does to smile, so wait till the dang movie comes out to judge the thing.

    I remember when Pixar released one fuzzy blurry image of some clouds and a stork from that Partly Cloudy short of theirs, and the commentators couldn’t stop drooling over it. It was a buncha friggin CLOUDS!!! How the heck can u say something will be amazing based on that?! Same goes for how u think something can be so horrible from seeing one teaser. Just imagine what thoughts people have when they get a few moments glimpse of you fanboys walkin down the street…choice

  • Brad

    So disliking the “Shrek” franchise automatically makes you a “fanboy”? Guess I’m a “fanboy” then.

  • http://artofguy.blogspot.com/ Guy

    All hail the great Shrekmasters!

    No, I can’t even be sarcastic about this.

    And not even Shrek can go without people complaining about the people who don’t like it.

    Shrek.

    Shrek.

  • http://elblogderg.blogspot.com Roberto

    Shrek 1 and 2 weren’t that great and Shrek 3 wasn’t that bad. They are different kind of mediocre but the only one that had some sort of story was the first one, and it still was a pretty weak story. The second one added characters but not a story. And most new characters weren’t likeable either.

    Puss was the only interesting addition to the mix and I agree he’s the most charismatic character of them all, along with Donkey and Gingerbread Man. I couldn’t care less about Shrek or Fiona: they look ugly (and not in a funny way) and their personality is bland. There is also another problem with these sequels, they keep adding characters and finally it looks a little grotesque to see all those characters around (Shrek’s and Donkey’s babies especially). It just seems a lot of them are not necessary, especially when the main ones had not been developed that much.

    I suspect most people hated Shrek The Third cause the story was more conventional and similar to your classic Disney fairy tale, but I sort of liked it a little more than Shrek 2, cause at least there WAS an story.

    I’ll probably watch this one any way, but the plot looks extremely contrived and the gags are not especially great, except for the animation of fat Puss…which is still too reminiscent of Garfield, didn’t they already make that joke in Shrek 2 (when he says “I hate mondays”)?

  • Scarabim

    There IS this attitude amongst professional movie critics that Pixar is the be-all and end-all, that all other studios that animate with CGI are posers and pretenders. When I read some of the less flattering reviews of Horton and Astro Boy, the gist seemed to be HOW DARE THIS MOVIE BE GOOD WHEN PIXAR DIDN’T MAKE IT???? Fie on those critics. I liked Horton, I loved Astro Boy, and I have liked pretty much all 3 Shreks. And Kung Fu Panda was awesome, although I felt sorry for the leopard, a little. Anyhoo, if this 4th Shrek movie wraps up the series in a satisfying way, I will cheer. And if it doesn’t, well, sequels seldom match the original. I reiterate: I’m seeing this because I love DRAGON!!!!

  • Roberto

    Before anyone points out the contradiction in my previous post, what I meant was that the only Shrek movie with some sort of ORIGINAL story was the first one. Later in my other post I said Shrek The Third had a story, cause it did have some sort of a plot, but it was a pretty conventional, Disney-like plot. I suspect that’s why most people hated it, cause the first ones were supossed to be more irreverent, though I found them pretty toothless.

    Shrek 2 had the weakest plot in the trilogy IMO, but the addition of Puss N’Boots made some parts entertaining.

  • Andre

    The DreamWorks Haters remind so much of the Hanna-Barbera bashers back in the 1970s and 80′s. I am a fan of the first two Shrek films. Yes, I didn’t care much for the pop music in each (I’m a jazz fan 20′s to present and NOBODY is making films with Louis Armstrong or Jabbo Smith on the soundtrack) but I do understand this is what most people want and identify with. Okay, so the trailer is clearly inspired by “It’s A Wonderful Life”. I’ve seen some creative and funny cartoons based on that theme (including a Tiny Toons special that had a few laughs in it). Let’s see how it works out before everybody starts knocking it. I’m gonna go see it. And hope it is better than Shrek 3.

  • http://kirbydream.com/ Leirin

    Roberto, since when did people dislike Shrek 3 because it was “more conventional, like a Disney fairy tale”? No offense, but I don’t think “Disney fairy tale” and “Shrek 3″ even belong in the same sentence. People hated Shrek 3 because it dragged on and the pregnancy gimmick was downright annoying.

  • jip

    “The DreamWorks Haters remind so much of the Hanna-Barbera bashers back in the 1970s and 80’s. ”

    So?
    I dislike both Shrek and most of Hanna Barbera :)
    Although at least Hanna Barbera sometimes is pleasant to the eyes.
    But Im glad so many people enjoy HB and Shrek:)

  • http://artofguy.blogspot.com/ Guy

    70′s and 80′s Hanna-Barbara? Seriously? Yes, people who hate dreck usually also hate dreck.

    Though, at least even the worst Hanna-Barbara cartoons aren’t hideous. But then again, the hideousness of Shrek movies makes them incredibly funny. It’s such a toss-up!

  • http://elblogderg.blogspot.com Roberto

    >>Roberto, since when did people dislike Shrek 3 because it was “more conventional, like a Disney fairy tale”? No offense, but I don’t think “Disney fairy tale” and “Shrek 3″ even belong in the same sentence. People hated Shrek 3 because it dragged on and the pregnancy gimmick was downright annoying>>

    Well, I just read some reviews in Spain that didn’t like the fact the third one cause it was more p.c. with Shrek learning to be a father and all that.

    I only watched Shrek 2 and 3 once. Maybe I’d change my mind on a rewatch, but I didn’t see anything significantly different in the quality of the third one. To me all of them are equally mediocre, a collection of mixed gags that sometimes work and other times don’t, included in pretty weak stories of personal redemption. Shrek becomes a good citizen, Shrek becomes a good husband, Shrek becomes a good father. Meh. And now he’ll go through a magic trip only to reinforce his “strengths” as a citizen, husband and father. I’m sorry but I don’t think Looney Tunes would go that route. Then again, those were cartoons that weren’t afraid to be un-p.c. Shrek’s idea of un-p-c. is including a fat main character and a couple of fart jokes.

  • Jesse

    What more can they do with Shrek?
    Shrek the First was hilarious, I admit, but there can’t possibly be more that DW can do with him. A 4-D adventure, 3 sequels, a Broadway musical and a Christmas special? How long is DW going to milk this character? Shrek 2 was pretty funny (Puss was a nice addition, some good jokes), but still much weaker than the original Shrek film. Both Shrek the Third and Shrek the Halls were terrible, as was that 4-D adventure made after the first movie. I am planning on missing the Broadway musical, as the music is putrid.

    I never minded all the fart jokes at first, but after about 600 of them, the joke starts to die.
    I sincerely hope the same does not happen to Kung Fu Panda.

  • http://www.tresswygert.blogspot.com Tres Swygert

    I just hope this is the last Shrek, and that it will be better than Shrek 3. Shrek 3 wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t encouraging to have another sequel really. As for bashing DreamWorks, it’s not really because their movies are not like Pixar’s. It’s just the fact that DreamWorks look for movies that they could make franchises out of…if the movie is successful at the box office (both domestically and internationally), then it’ll greenlight it to become a series (Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda). I’m sure not everyone remembers how they were planning to have a Shark Tale 2…until DW realized that it wasn’t as successful as the other projects. That’s my only beef with DreamWorks, that they have the Land Before Time syndrome…making unnecessary sequels.

  • Sylvain

    “it’s not really because their movies are not like Pixar’s. It’s just the fact that DreamWorks look for movies that they could make franchises out of…”

    Riiiiiiiight. Using the work “fact” doesn’t make it true. DW and Pixar are producing about the same ratio of original films versus sequels. Is just that Pixar started gearing for it when they were assimilated.

    Have you noticed the milking of the Toy Story franchise ?
    What about Cars ?
    Monsters inc ?

    It’s all business. Pixar are unable to match Dreamworks box office, so they chose their franchises to sell toys, not unlike GI Joe and Transformers in the 80s. They even rerun their franchises in 3D for god’s sake! They are stuck inside a gigantic media corporation that needs to make money with ALL their divisions, it’s no longer about the films, and it hasn’t been since they sold out their company. The franchise is now the Pixar brand itself. It’s not a studio, it’s a “brand”.

    When people stop biting to the branding of a film, and start judging the film itself, maybe we’ll get somewhere.

  • wgan

    shrek only makes sense to dreamworks animation, because it saved the studio, to me, it’s pure crap since the second

  • Brynnzo

    Pedro Nakama says:
    If this movie fails studio execs will think animation is dead and stop making animated films.

    Brynnzo:
    I hope the execs stop thinking… maybe something good will be made. Like when the “execs” thought “Iron Giant” was not worth messing with…

    Please!.. I’m wish upon a star… make my dreams come true.

    ah… f@$%k where’s Jiminy Cricket when you need him?

  • Andrew Kieswetter

    Looks like it’s Shrek’s version of It’s a Wonderful Life. I rather like the fat Puss in Boots.

  • Samjoe

    Sooo, let me get this straight. It’s oookay when Disney/Pixar or any Star Trek franchise does it. And no else can do it right, right gotcha.
    I’ll be sure and pass the word to J.J. Abrams
    that they shouldn’t make the 12th one.

  • http://artofguy.blogspot.com/ Guy

    Samjoe: IT’S SHREK.

    Jesus.

    The worst goddamn dregs of pop culture. Just because it’s animated doesn’t mean it deserves any respect.