In the fourth and final chapter, the animated Shrek series recovers the sense of mischief it lost in Shrek the Third. Yes, it helps that this one is in 3-D – the real deal, not a retrofit – that makes the action pop. But it's the characters that pull us in when familiarity flatlines our interest.  The plot gimmick involves husband-and-father Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers with just the right blend of mirth and malaise) feeling frustrated that his days as a fear-inducing ogre are over. So he makes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin (an ingeniously nasty vocal turn from DreamWorks Animation story editor Walt Dohrn) that tricks him into an alternate universe where he doesn't know his wife, Fiona (Cameron Diaz), his friend Donkey (Eddie Murphy) or fat-cat Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). It's a fun ride. What's missing is the excitement of a new interpretation.

“Ambling Alp”

The "Ambling Alp" was the nickname of the six-and-a-half-foot-tall Primo Carnera. Though the song is named after the Italian-born 1930s heavyweight champion, Yeasayer are actually paying tribute to boxing legend Joe Louis with this first-person psychedelic dance-rock tune. “I was always interested in writing a song that had boxing mythology in it,” Yeasayer’s Chris Keating said. “It’s pretty fascinating: There were so many amazing characters, and it was so closely entwined with 20th century history.” Yeaseyer also invokes German champ Max Schmeling and hints at the historical significance placed on the historic bouts between the Nazi-era boxer and the African-American Louis.