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Shrek Customer Reviews (37 - 39 of 105 Reviews)

Ogres are like onions
Man, I feel like Rip Van Winkle after watching "Shrek." Let me explain. I rarely watch animated shows, let alone animated movies, so I was totally unaware of how much they've changed in the last ten or fifteen years. The only reason I popped "Shrek" into the DVD player was because I stumbled over a website that said this film earned a place in the list of all time top ten grossing movies. I couldn't believe that claim, considering it's an animated feature, so curiosity forced my hand. All I can say after seeing this DreamWorks production is WOW! When did they start using CGI for animated features? Moreover, when did they start using CGI to such great effect? I'm not totally ignorant, by the way. I'm aware that some animated films look like what I saw in "Shrek" since I've seen advertisements and stills from movies like "Toy Story," but I had no idea of the depth involved in every frame of the movie. Most of the films I've seen with heavy CGI usually contain one or two scenes where the effects look simply awful or fail because the script puts the plot and characters on the backburner so as to make room for the computerized images. Not so in this movie: everything we see is a computer-generated effect and the characters stand front and center.

Shrek is, of course, a large green ogre with huge teeth and cone shaped ears voiced by the incomparable Mike Myers. When we first meet up with this lovable rogue he's hanging up no trespassing signs on the outskirts of his beloved swamp. Shrek likes his privacy because...well, he's an ogre and ogres need their privacy. Why would anyone want to hang around with an ogre anyway? They're ugly, crass, and mean. If the movie is any indication, they also like to bath in muck and offal. Fun. Nonetheless, Shrek soon discovers that faraway events threaten his self-imposed exile. The diminutive and evil Lord Farquaad (voiced by John Lithgow), in his evil way, issued an edict ordering the deportation of all the fairytale creatures from his domain. What a jerk! He sends the seven dwarfs, Pinocchio, a gingerbread man, and assorted other lovable creatures out into the cold, heartless world. The only place left to these poor wretches is, predictably, Shrek's swamp. The ogre opens his front door to find literally hundreds of talking animals, beasties big and small, and assorted magical creations slumming about the swamp. Enraged, Shrek embarks on a mission to Lord Farquaad's palace with the aim of obtaining the deed to his property. He takes along with him the talking Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) as his sole companion.

Farquaad isn't one to cave into demands lightly, however, as Shrek and Donkey soon discover. The evil nobleman wishes to acquire a princess as his bride, and he promises to deliver the deed into Shrek's hands if the ogre will procure this woman for him. The woman in question is Fiona (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful young lady imprisoned in an imposing castle watched over by a fire-breathing dragon. Shrek and Donkey accept their mission and soon liberate Fiona from her prison, but things don't go quite right from this point forward. Shrek grows fond of the imaginative Fiona, and she of him, but their physical forms seem to prohibit any possible romantic union. After all, how can an ogre ever hope to marry a human princess? Well, in the fairytale world people aren't always as they seem. Fiona harbors an intriguing secret that would astound Shrek if he knew the truth, but Farquaad enters the picture before the ogre learns what's going on. Will Fiona marry the evil Farquaad and live unhappily ever after? Will Shrek muster up the courage necessary to rescue his beloved from the evil lord? Most importantly, will the ogre take Fiona with him back to the swamp so the two can share his cherished privacy? You ought to know the answers to these questions before the film even starts, but seeing how everything turns out is the fun part.

"Shrek" is quite possibly the most enjoyable animated feature, television or movie, that I've ever seen. The secret to its success is difficult to summarize adequately in a mere paragraph. First, the voiceovers are wonderfully full of energy and emotion. Moreover, the animators made sure to craft the main characters so that they look like their actor counterparts, i.e. Shrek looks like Mike Myers, Donkey resembles Eddie Murphy, and so on. Second, the CGI effects are incredibly detailed, so much so that it's almost frighteningly realistic. Third, "Shrek" is contemporary while staying true to the old fairytale form. From the music by Smashmouth to the pop culture references to the multifaceted dialogue, modern audiences ought to find much to appreciate here. Speaking of the dialogue, I couldn't believe some of the stuff that came out of these characters' mouths. The part where Shrek points out Lord Farquaad's huge castle and says, "You think he's trying to compensate for something?" is absolutely hilarious. I couldn't believe he said it in what is essentially a cartoon. The movie's loaded with great double entendres that little kids won't likely understand but will keep adults engaged.

I'm not even going to get into the extras on the disc except to say there's some great stuff here that takes hours to watch. My favorite supplements included a look at Myers, Diaz, Lithgow, and Murphy doing the voiceover work and the behind the scenes stuff describing how the animators performed their computerized magic. I can't believe I waited this long to watch such a fantastic film. Sadly, the sequel isn't as good due in large part to an overemphasis on the pop references and adult humor.




One of the best family-oriented films you'll find...
A modern-day fairy tale rife with cutting edge humor, Shrek is a computer-animated film for the ages. In the tradition of Disney (the recipient of a number of clever jibes throughout the movie), Dreamworks manages to create a film that adults (and not just parents) will enjoy as much as children. The comedy is clean, witty, and refreshing. The animation is mind-blowing, and the characters are as likeable as any ever created.

The story follows the life of Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers), a green ogre with a friendly disposition who lives in a swamp during medieval times. When ever-so-short, midget nobleman Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) banishes all local fairy-tale creatures from his land, they are forced to resettle in Shrek's swamp. Shrek, who prefers to live in solitude, sets off, accompanied by a wisecracking mule named Donkey (Eddie Murphy), to find Lord Farquaad and convince him to leave the fairy-tale characters where they belong, and leave his leave his swampland alone. Lord Farquaad agrees to honor Shrek and Donkey's request under one condition. The odd couple must locate the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and bring her back to Duloc so that he can marry her (he chooses her as his bride over Snow White and Sleeping Beauty because he wants to become king). Although Princess Fiona is held in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, the task is one Shrek and Donkey are more than capable of taking on...

Shrek is quite simply of one of the best films of its time. The computer-generated image animation creates a fantastic setting filled with unique, groundbreaking characters. The storyline (basically Beauty and the Beast) is timeless, and the comedy manages to stand on its own in a movie that pushes the outer-boundaries of excellence. Eddie Murphy is at his best playing the Donkey, and Mike Myers may also have put in his best cinematic performance to date. Shrek is one of the few animated films ever made that should be seen by adults who don't have children (in other words, those who otherwise wouldn't bother to see an animated film). So if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and give Shrek a try...

The DVD Report

I LOVED THIS MOVIE!
Shrek was really funny, and very original! It's great
for kids, and adults, you won't be disappointed!

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