Shrek (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
An ogre named Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers, inflecting a Scottish accent) travels with an annoying donkey named ... Donkey (Eddie Murphy), whilst on a mission to bring a princess to a mischievous lord in 'Shrek', a CGI-animated film directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson. This lord, named Farquaad (John Lithgow), aims to be King. It is HE who sent Shrek to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz); who's waiting for her one true love. Little does Farquaad know that this unlikely duo could possible fall in love with each other. What a joy this movie is.
When we first meet Shrek, he's living the good life in his own swamp; scaring off any human who comes nearby. But things get hairy one day when all of the fairy tale creatures are rounded up by soldiers & dumped in his swamp for good. Angry as Hell, he & his bothersome new pal Donkey march off to the city of Duloc to ask Lord Farquaad (the local landholder) for his swamp back. At the castle, a deal is made: he'll get his swamp back once he retrieves Princess Fiona from the tower where she's currently held prisoner. Farquaad thinks Cinderella & Snow White are rubbish, & prefers Fiona above all others to be his wife.
This task won't be easy however. Shrek would have to best a beast at said tower ... a fire-breathing dragon. Of course, there's an eventual twist. Not only does Shrek & Fiona discover a fondness for each other. But Fiona harbors a secret about herself that's only revealed near the end of the film. And though this sounds identical to the Beauty & the Beast story, the roles just may be reversed this time around.
'Shrek' is not unlike The Princess Bride in that it uses old fairy tales as a canvas for a new story to be told. Shrek is ugly, yet charming. Donkey is loud, but loveable. And Fiona is both salty & sweet. And though Shrek, Donkey & Fiona are wonderful main characters in & of themselves, some of the best parts of the movie involve cameo characters. Over the course of the film, we see Cinderella, Snow White, her 7 dwarves, Pinocchio, the Big Bad Wolf, the 3 Little Pigs, the Gingerbread Man (hysterical), the Magic Mirror, and the list goes on & on. Having them all integrated into the plot is fantastic!
Myers, Murphy, & Diaz have the perfect voices for these characters; they will be treasured for a long, long time because of their vocal work. Really they are all geniuses, here; particularly Murphy. Also great is John Lithgow as the nasty Farquaad. As far as the script goes, it's amazing; simply because, while the textured 3D visuals are incredible anyway, it's usually the script that falters (making stereotypically average cartoon films). Not here. The animation AND the script are harmonious; SUCH a rare thing. The double-layered dialogue (both kids & adults will roar with laughter), the double entendres ("a castle that big must mean he's compensating for something") & the subtle jabs makes Shrek a clever, funny, fast-moving affair.
'Shrek' IS noisy (babbling). Some of the dialogue doesn't work. And some of the jokes are a bit base. But overall, this film offers humor, high octane adventure, scintillating visuals, a unique story, whimsical characters, & some romance. The movie also teaches a stellar life lesson (shock of all shocks): looks can be deceiving, real beauty comes from within. 'Shrek' is a near-perfect movie for kids & adults (who may enjoy it even MORE than the kids!). I can't wait to see it again.
When we first meet Shrek, he's living the good life in his own swamp; scaring off any human who comes nearby. But things get hairy one day when all of the fairy tale creatures are rounded up by soldiers & dumped in his swamp for good. Angry as Hell, he & his bothersome new pal Donkey march off to the city of Duloc to ask Lord Farquaad (the local landholder) for his swamp back. At the castle, a deal is made: he'll get his swamp back once he retrieves Princess Fiona from the tower where she's currently held prisoner. Farquaad thinks Cinderella & Snow White are rubbish, & prefers Fiona above all others to be his wife.
This task won't be easy however. Shrek would have to best a beast at said tower ... a fire-breathing dragon. Of course, there's an eventual twist. Not only does Shrek & Fiona discover a fondness for each other. But Fiona harbors a secret about herself that's only revealed near the end of the film. And though this sounds identical to the Beauty & the Beast story, the roles just may be reversed this time around.
'Shrek' is not unlike The Princess Bride in that it uses old fairy tales as a canvas for a new story to be told. Shrek is ugly, yet charming. Donkey is loud, but loveable. And Fiona is both salty & sweet. And though Shrek, Donkey & Fiona are wonderful main characters in & of themselves, some of the best parts of the movie involve cameo characters. Over the course of the film, we see Cinderella, Snow White, her 7 dwarves, Pinocchio, the Big Bad Wolf, the 3 Little Pigs, the Gingerbread Man (hysterical), the Magic Mirror, and the list goes on & on. Having them all integrated into the plot is fantastic!
Myers, Murphy, & Diaz have the perfect voices for these characters; they will be treasured for a long, long time because of their vocal work. Really they are all geniuses, here; particularly Murphy. Also great is John Lithgow as the nasty Farquaad. As far as the script goes, it's amazing; simply because, while the textured 3D visuals are incredible anyway, it's usually the script that falters (making stereotypically average cartoon films). Not here. The animation AND the script are harmonious; SUCH a rare thing. The double-layered dialogue (both kids & adults will roar with laughter), the double entendres ("a castle that big must mean he's compensating for something") & the subtle jabs makes Shrek a clever, funny, fast-moving affair.
'Shrek' IS noisy (babbling). Some of the dialogue doesn't work. And some of the jokes are a bit base. But overall, this film offers humor, high octane adventure, scintillating visuals, a unique story, whimsical characters, & some romance. The movie also teaches a stellar life lesson (shock of all shocks): looks can be deceiving, real beauty comes from within. 'Shrek' is a near-perfect movie for kids & adults (who may enjoy it even MORE than the kids!). I can't wait to see it again.