Article by: Rumer Certeza
Photo: Youtube 

'Shrek Forever After' lacks the life even in 3D.

The fourth installment of the popular animated franchise just isn't 'animated,' taking a complete 360 degree turn with regards to the zesty and vigorous elements that were actively present at least in the first two sequels. Forget about 'Shrek the Third,' which just began a trend to an ultimate sleep-fest in this year's finale (Puh-lease let it be the last).

You're left wondering what ever happened to the seemingly infinite energy of its predecessors, plus the fun. 'Shrek Forever After' can be extremely dragging throughout the film, with the big, bad ogre trying to endure a mid-life crisis, which the young audience couldn't care less about.

The 3-D animation doesn't give it a boost either. After all the 3-D generated flicks that had popped out this summer, you're just down on your knees begging for the giant movie moguls to just give this sickening craze a rest.

In the first place, the visual delights of the 'Shrek' franchise can make do already without an added dimension of a 3-D effect, thank you. The scenery is astounding on its own, the breathtaking texture of its surroundings, the grass and trees, water, all this gets lost and the whole setup looks flat when clothed with the so-called touch of 3-D.

Directed by Mike Mitchell ('Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo', 'Sky High') and written by Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, 'Shrek Forever After' highlights the big green fella (as voiced once again by Mike Myers) catapulted into an alternate universe, after being deceived by an evil Rumpelstiltskin to revisit the pleasures of his old life, with an attempt to escape the burdensome task of being a family man. (Shrek now has one year-old triplets with wife Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz).

In this universe, the land of Far, Far Away, no longer exists. Shrek finds Fiona, but she's no longer his wife but a warrior princess leading a rebellion, and complicate his troubles, ogres are being hunted in the woods.

His best buddy, Donkey (as voiced by Eddie Murphy) is his usual sassy self but doesn't know him.

Frankly, the only consistent comical act in the franchise has got to be Antonio Banderas' (thankfully) Puss in Boots, who in Shrek's alternate world, is a lazy, overfed and over pampered pet of Fiona, who can't chase mice or even buckle his own belt. Hopefully, the feline wonder would land his own movie spin-off (according to talks) minus any third dimension. We beg you!

They sure don't make animated flicks like they used to.