MOVIE REVIEW Shrek (2001)
Starring: Mike
Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow Studio: DreamWorks SKG Review Posted: 5.10.01
"The tale of all tales that have never been told"
Shrek is my favorite comedy this year so far. Why? Hell, it manages to blend in everything that has to do with tales and parody it, or simply play off of it, creating a visually stunning (in terms of CGI animation) and entertaining (fun/laughs to the extreme) summer movie ride! Sure, it's entirely in CGI and features four familiar celebrity voices.
Once upon a time, in a swamp far, far away, there lived an ogre named Shrek (Myers), whose everyday life is suddenly turned upside down by an invasion of fairy tale characters in need of help. They all seek a home, because they've been banished from their kingdom by the evil, height-concerned Lord Farquaad (Lithgow). Shrek, accompanied by a wisecracking Donkey (Murphy) who will do anything but shut up, agrees to help them and heads for Lord Farquaad's castle to set things straight. Shrek and the Donkey agree to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona (Diaz) from a guarded castle and bring her back so Farquaad can marry her. Rescuing the Princess from a fire-breathing dragon may prove the least of their problems when the secret she has been keeping is revealed.
This is the basic story of Shrek. It sounds simply, because it is. This is a no-brainer, which makes it very easy to follow and understand. While Shrek is very original and funny, it fails to stretch its plot to fully expose the world which we see here. The movie may move slow in the middle, but apart from that it manages to create genuine laughter (not the usual potty humor of comedies) and exciting surprises (one of the TV commercials gives away the most memorable surprise; one word: Matrix).
The computer animation is top notch. From the faces of the main characters to the wind making grass move naturally, the whole animation makes Disney's cartoons look like ants compared to the elephant that is Shrek (similes don't work well with me, but I hope you get the point). Apart from this, the reason for the PG rating is mild language and some crude humor (boy, let me tell you). I really couldn't believe some of the things that writers Joe Stilman, Roger S.H. Schulman, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio came up with (not sure if they collaborated on everything, but who cares). A scene towards the end has Shrek and Princess Fiona making balloons out of a snake and a frog (I think). The way it plays out is just really odd and sick (harsh, more likely), but compared to the rest of the quality jokes it was acceptable (kind of).
Overall, I really enjoyed watching Shrek. I liked having the simple, yet somewhat cramped-up story unfold easily, even though a little slow. Forget the small flaws and have one hell of a fun time with Shrek and Co, because it's going to make your day! It made mine, so you know what to expect.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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