Movie screening of Shrek Forever After

Not really a review, but more a post about my experience during my first ever free movie screening.  L saw some of those people handing out free movie screening passes and signed us up. I’ve seen them before but have always ignored them.  They told her it was a 3D animated film from the makers of some other movie I can’t remember, but they wouldn’t tell her what it actually was.  I’m pretty sure we could of looked it up online ahead of time, but we didn’t do so.

Anyway, we got to the movie early as they said to, tell them how old we are, and they put ribbons on you and let you in. They searched every girl’s bag, no camera phones were allowed, and they make you walk through some metal detector?  Am I visiting the President or am I watching a freaking movie???  I can understand the no camera phones and searching the bag, but metal detectors?  Ummm, ok.

When we finally walk in, (BTW, this was at the AMC at the Block), it was very bright and lit inside.  I had never ever seen a theater that lightly lit up.  I guess it makes sense that there would be lights inside for emergencies and such, but I’ve never seen the lights on that brightly before so it was kind of weird.  They cram you in because they say it will be a packed house (I’d say it was 80% to 90% full), and then you just sit there and wait.  There are a few people going around already asking people if they are willing to stay after the movie to meet the creators to tell them how you think.  We were not asked to do that.  Right before it starts, a guy tells us enthusiastically, you are about to watch the next Shrek movie!  The crowd erupted.

There were no trailers, and at the beginning they tell you that there are some scenes that are not really done yet so the animation is very bad, more like sketches and stuff, and explains the process you go through in actually creating the scene.  I think about 85% of the movie was done, but near the end, all the detail and stuff is pretty much gone as I guess they didn’t finish a lot of those last scenes.  After the movie finally ends, everyone stays in their seats and fills out a 2 page questionnaire asking things like how you liked it, favorite character, least favorite character, favorite scene, what didn’t you like or did like about the movie, would you pay an extra 5 bucks to watch this in 3D, etc, etc.

Oh, and the actual movie?  I’m assuming that all the dialog and story are pretty much set, so I will say that I thought it was pretty funny, and about what I expected from a Shrek movie.  So, that’s pretty good since the previous 3 were all pretty funny.  All the same characters are back with a new villain.  I did like the movie, thought it was funny, but I think I liked the previous 3 better, if remember correctly.  This new one starts off pretty slow, and I was like, dang this is not fun. But, it definitely did pick up and had a lots of funny parts.  The 3D did nothing for me.  I think that’s a gimmick that needs to die before it takes off.  That about sums up pretty much what I wrote on my paper after the movie ended, so who knows…maybe they will change parts of it.  I guess I’ll find out this summer as I think that is when it is coming out.