Once upon a time, there lived an intellectual property by the name of Shrek, which made a whole ton of money for DreamWorks and some Hollywood actors. In fact, the first movie brought in so much cash, they all got together and made another one.

It wasn't quite as good as the first, but it still made a profit, so they went ahead and made another. Once again, it wasn't quite as good as the last film, but still made enough money for them to create yet another, and this one was in 3D, because as everyone knows, we're all going to hell and the only way to get there is by bandwagon. Thus, Dreamworks jumped on this bandwagon, got even richer, and everyone lived happily ever after. 

Unfortunately, this particular fairy tale doesn't include such a blissful ending for the viewers, because Shrek Forever After is something of a disappointment. While its predecessor, Shrek The Third, was also regarded by many as a poor relation to the first two movies, it still had some genuinely funny moments, and apart from an uncomfortable cameo from Eric Idle, it was an enjoyable piece of family entertainment, with enough jokes to keep both parents and children happy. 

This, sadly, is not the case with Shrek Forever After, which comes across as an insipid showcase for 3D cinema, with a lazy 'reimagined' script that sees Shrek making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, resulting in an alternate reality in which Shrek was never born, and therefore never met any of his friends. While this, in itself, isn't the worst thing in the world, unfortunately, it appears to be at the expense of a decent story, so the film ultimately feels hollow and forgettable.

This is a shame, because the cast do a reasonable job, including the voice behind the evil Rumpelstiltskin, Walt Dohrn, a man whose only other acting credit is a small selection of characters from the last Shrek. Their attempts to bring the script above the level of mere mediocrity, though, are fruitless, because they simply don't have enough to work with.

There are a few notable visual jokes involving a pampered and rather portly version of Puss in Boots, but precious little else that feels truly inspired. For a fictional, animated character, Shrek is really starting to seem tired. 

That said, Shrek Forever After does look very nice, and the 3D was far less headache-inducing than Avatar's. Indeed, the trailer for the live-action movie, The Last Airbender, played before Shrek started, and it was as painful to watch as James Cameron's Smurf soap opera was, so perhaps this technology is better suited to animation.

However, it's telling that I was considering this while watching the film because, while it's certainly pretty, and likeable enough to keep you sat down for an hour and a half, it's not particularly engrossing, so it's easy for the mind to wonder (in my case, I noticed how much Shrek looks like Tracy Morgan, and thought about how the Shrek series isn't all bad if it keeps Eddie Murphy in child support payments).

Frankly, the sooner we all get over this 3D fad (hopefully, that's all it is), the sooner filmmakers can return to making truly entertaining movies. After about half an hour, most people probably forget about the 3D anyway, which is when the great new 'immersive' experience exposes itself as a fallacy, because it's decent acting and storytelling that make you lose yourself in a film, not a silly pair of glasses. 

For all the visual dimensions that Shrek has gained, the sad truth is it's flatter than ever.