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Shrek Customer Reviews (94 - 96 of 105 Reviews)

poetic justice
I have to admit I was hesitant to watch this with the kids, having read that some of the language and humor were inappropriate, and some of it does seem gratuitous
and needlessly provocative; it would be a better film without. But it's so much fun, so energetic, and the computer generated animation looks so good, that I suppose
it can be grudgingly forgiven a few excesses.

The filmmakers have taken William Steig's fairly minimal story and expanded it into a full blown fairy tale, complete with an evil lord, a dragon, and a plot
borrowed from Beauty and the Beast. Then they've given the whole thing a post-Modern twist that Steig would surely approve of, with insider jabs at Disney,
Princess Fiona reenacting slo-mo kung fu scenes from Cameron Diaz's Charlie's Angels role, and various other humorous touches that give an adult overlay to a
film that kids enjoy at an entirely different level.

But for all the snarky humor, the Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy antics, and the impressive technology, the most delightful irony is that movie ends up working
because of the way it taps into classic themes. Shrek, the ugly and much-feared ogre, goes and rescues the princess after Lord Farquaad promises to restore the
misanthropic privacy of his swampy home. But over the course of their adventure the previously solitary ogre becomes friends with donkey and falls in love with
Fiona. Together they learn timeless lessons about friendship, loyalty, love, and the true nature of beauty. Those involved may think themselves hip and daring
heroes of counterculture for calling a donkey a "jack..." in a kids' film, but the joke's on them as they retreat into homey bourgeois homilies by film's end, which
Mr. Steig seem likely to have disapproved of. I very much like the poetic justice of the filmmakers retreat. But, of course, I'm a bourgeois and believe in those
homilies.

GRADE : A

A Fairy Tale for the Whole Family
Shrek is a film I enjoyed watching just as much as my 11 year old and 9 year old children did. The main character in this computer animated fairy tale is an ogre named Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers). He's not handsome, he's not friendly and he's not happy. But his life changes when he sets off to rescue a princess from the mean and conceited Lord Farquaad (voiced by John Lithgow). Accompanied by a witty donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), he outsmarts a fire-breathing dragon and tolerates a strong-willed princess (voiced by Cameron Diaz). When he falls in love with the princess he faces his greatest challenge and that is to feel worthy of her love. There's a transformation after they kiss which is the big surprise in this movie. From its "Once Upon a Time" beginning to its "Happily Ever After" ending, Shrek will warm your heart, tickle your funny bone and remind us all of the true meaning of beauty. Keep in mind that Shrek is rated PG and there are scenes that might be scary for young children.

A FANTASTIC FABLE THAT DELIVERS
The single most entertaining and successful film of the year "SHREK" (DreamWorks...), arrives on DVD in a double disc set that includes widescreen and full screen versions and bonus material skewed towards younger kids. The unusually sharp digital transfer is about as good as is technically possible and brings to life a beautiful world inhabited by all manner of questionable but mostly lovable characters. Mike Meyers' inspired voice work for the title ogre is dead on in every aspect and implies much more humanity than even the words he says. Eddie Murphy is consistently in the zone as the up-beat, bluntly honest wise guy Donkey. Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow bring the princess and the vertically challenged king to life. But the most interesting thing that looms over this hugely successful film is the personal war between Disney's Michael Eisner and DreamWorks' "Shrek" producer Jeffrey Katzenberg. The rivalry and bitterness between the two former Disney associates has resulted in several extraordinary animated products that are probably much better than they might have been. Let's hope they keep competing on a personal level because "Shrek" is just about perfect. Of all the bonus material, making of stuff and commentaries, the thing that's most lacking is something, anything, from the two brilliant writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio. It's the best screenplay of the year. By far. One to own.

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