Not recommended under 5, PG to 10 (Violence, Scary scenes, Themes)
This topic contains:
Children under 5 | Not recommended due to violence and scary scenes |
Children aged 5-10 | Parental guidance recommended due to violence, scary scenes and themes |
Children over the age of 10 | OK for this age group |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Shrek Forever After |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Mild themes and animated violence |
Length: | 93 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
Shrek Forever After, directed by Mike Mitchell, continues the story of the reformed ogre Shrek. This animated 3D film retains the previous all-star vocal cast, with Mike Myers (Shrek); Cameron Diaz (Fiona); Eddie Murphy (Donkey); Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots); Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian) and John Cleese (King Harold).
This fourth movie in the series depicts Shrek’s growing discontent with everyday family life with his wife Fiona and three ogre children. One day, in a fit of depression and self-involvement, Shrek foolishly makes an agreement with the evil magician Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn). The resulting contract allows Shrek to once again become a real ogre for a day, returning to his former villager-frightening persona, in exchange for one day from his childhood. This has devastating unforseen consequences for Shrek, who becomes trapped in an alternate reality without family or friends. Soon realising his mistake, Shrek sets out to reverse the pact and return to his former predictable, but newly attractive life.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
A father’s discontent with his wife and family; separation from family and loved ones; war.
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
There is a great deal of violence in this movie including:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including:
In addition, the 3D component of this film may create some frightening moments for children in this age group, as everyday objects suddenly emerge on the screen and appear to jut-out at the audiences. In this way, close-up images of even simple movements such as galloping horses may be disturbing for some young viewers.
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are several scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Younger children in this age group may also be disturbed by some of the scenes described above.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in this film.
None of concern in the film, although marketing of products associated with the film is likely to escalate in the weeks around the release
There is one veiled sexual reference in this movie, when the words, “sweet, luscious, tasty” are apparently used to describe a woman (although the audience soon finds that the phrase concerned a plate of waffles).
There are some mild depictions of nudity and sexualised activities in this movie, including:
There is some substance use in this movie, including:
None of concern
Shrek Forever After is a very cleverly crafted computer animation. Many of the animated characters, such as Donkey and Puss in Boots are very well depicted and the 3D component is also extremely effective, without being over-done. Nevertheless, adults may find the story line rather thin and unsatisfying. In addition, parents may consider the film unnecessarily violent.
Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:
This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children the real-life consequences of violence, as opposed to the sanitised outcomes portrayed here.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
Selecting an age will provide a list of movies with content suitable for this age group. Children may also enjoy movies selected via a lower age.
Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
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