‘Shrek Forever After’

Time to go, Shrek.

Time to go far, far away -- back to the land of Far Far Away -- and leave us with our fond memories.

Few of which will be of "Shrek Forever After."

The fourth (and presumably final) chapter in the extended "Shrek" saga isn't the worst of the bunch. (That would be 2007's charmless, not-quite-harmless "Shrek the Third.")

But this fourth installment (in 2-D, 3-D and IMAX 3-D) confirms what we've all known for some time -- that this franchise is long past its sell-by date.

What in 2001 seemed fresh and irreverent now feels tired and routine.

But even the movie's bright spots -- happily, it does have some -- aren't bright enough to lighten the prevailing been-there, seen-that mood.

That dour 'tude also applies to the everyday existence of the title character (voiced, as usual, by Mike Myers).

Married to Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), the happy couple are supposed to be celebrating the first birthday of their triplet tykes.

Except that Shrek doesn't feel much like celebrating. He's sick of congratulatory crowds, domestic bliss and diaper duty.

"I used to be an ogre," Shrek complains in his trademark Scottish burr. "Now I'm a jolly green joke."

And he longs for the days -- or even one day -- when he could be his old ogre self, intimidating timid townsfolk and lolling in the mud.

Enter the ever-sly Rumplestiltskin (voiced by story editor Walt Dohrn ), an expert at making offers his targets can't refuse.

When he offers Shrek the chance to live one day "like it used to be," Shrek eagerly signs on the dotted line -- inevitably without reading the fine print.

Which means that Rumplestiltskin chooses, as Shrek's special day, the day Shrek was born, forcing Shrek (along with the audience) to learn what life in Far Far Away would be like if Shrek had never been born. (And if that causes a bell to ring in the back of your mind, just remember: Every time a bell rings, another movie rips off "It's a Wonderful Life.")

Yes, things have definitely changed in Far Far Away. Rumplestiltskin rules the realm with petty petulance, decked out in an assortment of costumes seemingly inspired by Louis XIV. A squadron of broom-zooming witches (all of whom look like they escaped from a "Wizard of Oz" casting session) assists him in subjugating the storybook populace.

And, out in the woods, valiant resistance fighters plot their campaign to overthrow Rumplestiltskin and win their freedom. In the lead: the fiery Fiona, warrior princess.

But she's not the only one who's changed in this alternate Shrekiverse.

Singin', swingin' Donkey (Eddie Murphy) doesn't even recognize his best friend. (At least he still loves waffles.) As for the dashing Puss in Boots (who else but Antonio Banderas?), he's settled down. He's had to, because he's such a fat cat these days he can hardly move.

They might be unlikely allies, but together they'll make sure Shrek gets his happily-ever-after ending.

As for the audience's happiness, that's another matter entirely.

Screenwriters Josh Klausner ("Date Night") and Darren Lemke (TV's "Lost") dutifully give the movie's derivative story its due. But the jokes that emerge often have little to do with what's happening to the characters -- or the characters themselves.

As a result, the sly asides and sight gags that provide much of the movie's spark seem more like afterthoughts than essential ingredients.

Director Mike Mitchell (a story artist on "Shrek the Third," his directorial credits include "Sky High" and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo") proves adept at integrating the 3-D effects, which add dimension (literally and figuratively) without being in-your-face distracting.

If only we could say the same thing about Rumplestiltskin, who looks three-dimensional but turns out to be dismayingly flat, especially as voiced by Dohrn, an animator and screenwriter whose credits include "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dexter's Laboratory." Dohrn's bland, colorless voice-work further diminishes Rumplestiltskin's -- and the movie's -- impact.

Contrast that with the hilarious vocal stylings contributed by the sassy Murphy and the antic, animated (in more ways than one) Banderas, who as usual emerges as the movie's most delightful character. (Let's hope an announced "Puss in Boots" spinoff is more than talk; that cat's deserved his own movie since he stole the show in 2004's "Shrek 2.")

So shed no tears for Shrek. He's had a good run -- even when his namesake movies aren't.

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.