To borrow Donkey's famous line, "Oh my God! It's happening... it's really happening!" The long wait is finally easing. The beloved green ogre and his family are now about a year away from returning to far, far away, and to mark the moment DreamWorks Animation has just unveiled the first proper teaser trailer for the upcoming fifth chapter. The animated sequel is directed by Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon.
Things look a little tangled this time
When the trailer reintroduces us to Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and the rest of the clan, the situation is decidedly messy. By some strange twist of fate, our heroes are not just heading back toward far, far away, they are marching straight into the slammer. What exactly their crime is remains a mystery.
Shrek and Fiona's now grown up children are caught up in the trouble too. Felicia (Zendaya), Fergus (Marcello Hernandez) and Farkle (Skyler Gisondo) all turn up in jail alongside their parents and Donkey.
The cheeky old tone is intact
The trailer kicks off with a storybook opening, and Eddie Murphy is once again going full throttle voicing Donkey. There is plenty of Disney parody woven in too, including gruff-voiced alley snowmen who ask, "Do you wanna date a snowman?" On top of that, there appears to be a fresh run-back of Shrek 2's iconic K.N.I.G.H.T.S/COPS parody.
Old friend Gingy is back as well, and this time, to quote the trailer directly, he is "caked up like a friggin' bakery." If anyone was wondering whether DreamWorks had lost its edge in the years since 2010's Shrek Forever After, the answer is an emphatic no. Although when it comes to the look of the characters, it is fair to say everyone has been yassified to within an inch of their life.
Plenty still under wraps
Shrek 5 was first teased at the very end of the excellent Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. So far it is not clear exactly what the story has in store for us, nor is the precise cinema release date known. What is certain is that Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy are all back in their classic roles, with a wealth of new talent joining them as well.
This single trailer alone promises an animated caper with a serrated comedic edge running through its fairytale fantasia. All told, audiences are ready to head back to the swamp. Shrek is love. Shrek is life.
