Shrek 4 Will Open Tribeca Fest

The Tribeca Film Festival will kick off on April 21 with Shrek Forever After as its opening-night film. The fourth and final installment in the Shrek series is only the second 3D animated feature to open a major film festival, after Up at Cannes last year. "We have always sought to open our festival with films that are captivating and strike an emotional chord with moviegoers," said a film festival co-founder.

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But the move leaves some critics feeling a little ... green. They question the decision to award a spot customarily used to showcase important works—United 93 made its premiere at Tribeca—to an heavily merchandised, established franchise. "Wasting a venue that can be, and often is, used for original or chancy work on a 'Shrek' four-quel seems a bit misguided," writes Steven Zeitchik of the Los Angeles Times. (Read more Shrek stories.)