Mike Mitchell should know whether "Shrek Forever After" really is the last film in the extremely popular series of animated fantasies.
He did direct the movie, after all.
And for those who are wondering, that's a big "yes." It really is the last of the Shrek movies, which have earned more than $1 billion (cumulative) at the box office, as well as garnering an Academy Award — a 2002 Best Animated Feature, given to the first of the films.
"This is it, a real finale to our versions of the Shrek stories, and hopefully a satisfying conclusion that will please everyone," the 39-year-old animator-turned-filmmaker said by telephone from Los Angeles, where he was helping promote the new movie.
Mitchell says the decision to end the Shrek franchise was made not because of a lack of popularity but because of worries about "overstaying our welcome and risk alienating our loyal audiences." And besides, "We had a story we really wanted and needed to tell this time," he said. "Once the story was in place, one we were really happy about, there was no stopping us."
Also, there will be a spin-off film, an already-in-production animated film featuring the Puss in Boots character, voiced by Antonio Banderas. But, as Mitchell notes, "(that movie) is a unique animal, all on its own. It's like our version of 'The Jeffersons' — to Shrek's 'All in the Family,' if you get that television reference."
Getting back to the fourth Shrek movie, "it returns us to where things began — we go back to the very start of things," according to Mitchell.
In the fourth movie, Shrek (again voiced by Mike Myers) is struggling with his new role as father to three and balancing various responsibilities. And he can't get even a minute to himself. So in frustration, he makes an ill-fated pact with evil warlock Rumpelstiltskin, who offers Shrek the opportunity to become a "real ogre" for a day.
Instead, our hero awakens in a reality in which he and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are no longer married or even know each other. She, in fact, is leading an ogre uprising — one fighting the magical forces of Rumpelstiltskin, who is now the ruler of the kingdom of Far Far Away.
There are obvious allusions to the 1946 classic "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Back to the Future" (1985), as well as like-minded fairy tales, which is no surprise.
"It's a very story-driven movie, which sounds unusual for an animated comedy. There are a lot of jokes and gags, but we really wanted to get back to telling the stories of the characters that our audiences have grown to love."
Mitchell has a strong pedigree in animation, having contributed work to both "Shrek the Third" (2007) and "Monsters vs. Aliens" (2009). But as director, his big-screen features to date have been live-action ones — such as the comedies "Sky High" (2005) and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" (1999). Yet he thinks he knows why he was the right person to make this film.
"I've worked with all sorts of actors and comedians, people who like to improvise. And there are definitely people in our voice cast who like to improvise," Mitchell laughed.
Still, the film presented several challenges for Mitchell, including the pains of making a 3-D Shrek movie. ("Shrek Forever After" is currently showing in a variety of formats, including traditional 2-D, 3-D and 3-D IMAX).
"I've never made a 3-D film and am not all that well-versed in 3-D effect or filmmaking," he explained. However, DreamWorks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg introduced Mitchell to a friend, James Cameron, who is on the cutting edge of 3-D technology. That meeting not only benefitted Mitchell and his animation and effects crews but also the makers of "How to Train Your Dragon."
"(Cameron) showed us some of his 'Avatar' footage while it was still in the post-production. After seeing everything that could be done in 3-D, we all got a lot more excited about the process," he said.
Mitchell also became convinced that 3-D could be used to "advance a story and not just show off." (He did note, though, that the 2-D version is "satisfying" for those who don't want to shell out the extra bucks for 3-D.)
After ending his three-year commitment to "Shrek Forever After," Mitchell says he's now looking forward to making something that is "a little less time-intensive."
One of his announced future projects is "Monster Squad," which he quickly pointed out is not a remake of the beloved 1987 movie of the same name.
"No, that's not it at all. This is a fun family movie about monsters under the bed and not about kids going toe-to-toe with Dracula and the Wolf Man."
And he certainly doesn't rule out to returning to the Shrek universe, for more spin-offs, if asked.
"I had a blast making this movie and would love to revisit at least some of the characters again."
At some point, Mitchell would also like to return to Utah — specifically, the Sundance Film Festival, where he debuted a couple of live-action and animated shorts, including "Frannie's Christmas" (1993).
"I seriously love that place. I would not have a career, would not be the place I am in life, without Sundance," he said. "And I am grateful to all of Utah, the Utah audiences, for being such strong supporters of my movies."
e-mail: jeff@desnews.com