(2010) In the past, to end the curse ("By day one way, by night another") upon their daughter Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz), King Harold (voiced by John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (voiced by Julie Andrews) paid a visit to Rumpelstilskin (voiced by Walt Dohrn), a specialist in magical transactions, where they nearly signed over their kingdom before timely word arrived that Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) had rescued her from the Dragon's Keep. "I wish that ogre was never born," growls "Grumped Stinkpants."

Back to the present, Shrek and Fiona are living their happily-ever-after with their three kids - Farkle, Fergal, and Felicia - and with their friends Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas); but for Shrek the routine of having become a roadside attraction for the Star Tours Chariot, a daddy with duties of changing and disposing of diapers along with the outhouse chores have sapped him of his former ogreness. "I used to be an ogre," he laments: "Now I'm just a jolly green joke."

In this the fourth iteration of the Dreamworks animation series based on cartoonist William Steig's picture book, directed by Mike Mitchell from a script by Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, a metaphysical paradox has an incomplete Shrek striving to re-establish the consistency of his former life.

Following the loss of his temper at the birthday celebration for his kids at Far Far Away, Shrek's tricked by Rumpel into accepting what appears to be an appreciative reward for a good deed after his bad behavior. Shrek confesses to Rumpel: "Sometimes I wish I had just one day to feel like a real ogre again."

After signing over to Rumpel the rights to one day from his childhood ("Give something to get something"), Shrek returns ("Have a nice day!") to pillaging and terrorizing and mud-bathing. Captured by witches and caged in a wagon pulled by snarky Donkey (declaring: "I've never seen you before in my life"), Shrek realizes he's been duped.

The witches bring him to the castle of Far Far Away, which Fiona's parents, the King and Queen, had signed over to Rumpel. Escaping with an "ass-napped" Donkey, Shrek explains to his uncertain companion about getting snookered into signing a contract, which Donkey at first thinks was for a timeshare. But then Donkey points out the exit clause in the contract of "true love's kiss."

Shrek has until sunrise to find Fiona and kiss her passionately; otherwise, he'll be worse than burned toast. In this alternative universe, Fiona has become the revolutionary leader of a resistance movement of ogres fighting against the witches, determined to free Far Far Away; Puss has become her bootless, fat, pampered pet.

Rumpel hires the Pied Piper as a bounty hunter: "it's time to pay the piper." Fiona's "old flame," the Dragon, makes her dramatic appearance in the climatic scene. Shrek admits: "I didn't know what I had until it was gone."

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Copyright © 2011 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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