Shrek

Rating:
Summary: Visually stunning and constantly hilarious
Review: I sometimes manage to be among the last individuals on earth to see a blockbuster movie, and such is the case with Shrek. Having finally seen the film, however, I will certainly echo the high praises it has received from those who have come before me. Shrek is visually stunning, continuously hilarious, and uplifting in its message. It's fun for the entire family, appealing to adults and children in equal measure, and it just makes you feel good after the credits roll. The DVD throws in tons of extras, giving you more Shrek bang for the bucks.

The look of this film is amazing; animation has definitely entered the twenty-first century, and the guys and gals at Dreamworks are forging the way ever onward and upward. You really have to see the animation in Shrek to appreciate it - I can tell you that it is in stunning 3-D detail, that each character has more incredibly realistic and subtle facial expressions than I do, that you could sometimes swear (especially when watching Princess Fiona) that you are watching real people on the screen, and that Shrek transports you to a world unlike any you have seen before, but that barely begins to describe the animation magic at play here. The real proof of the pudding is in the details, and you will be amazed at all the subtle nuances you pick up each time you watch the film: you can see the wind in the grass, leaves blowing, dust rising, clothes wrinkling and moving naturally in relation to each character's body movements, hair stirring characters' hair (except for Shrek, of course, who is quite bald - not to mention green and altogether ogrely), etc.. The attention to detail is simply amazing, and I can't help but wonder why this film didn't cost about fifty billion dollars to make based on what I saw.

Of course, the incredible animation would all go for naught without great actors supplying the voices of the characters, and you would have to look long and hard to beat the cast of Shrek. Start with the two funniest men in Hollywood, Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, as Shrek the lovable ogre and his sidekick Donkey; then throw in Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona and John Lithgow as the bad guy. Myers and Murphy will keep you in stitches from start to finish. I won't go into the whole plot of the story here, as I'm sure that information is pretty easy to find hereabouts, but I will say the story is incredibly witty and is truly the stuff that all-time classic films are made of. While it turns the world of fairy tales on its ear, it does come bearing some important morals, the most important of which is the advice to not judge a person by his/her appearance. Shrek is much more than a disgusting, disagreeable ogre, and Fiona turns out to be the least typical princess you could ever hope to meet.

The extras on the DVD give you a good idea of the creative process that went into bringing Shrek to life: storyboards of deleted scenes, an HBO special on the making of the movie, technical goofs, and an informative commentary by the filmmakers. In terms of pure entertainment, you also get the complete extended dance party ending of the film, the means to jump directly to many of the funnier or more visually stunning scenes, music videos from Smashmouth and Baha Men, and a number of silly little games to play. Consider all of these extras as icing on the proverbial cake, however, as the movie alone packs more entertainment than almost any other DVD you will ever find.

Rating:
Summary: im makin' waffels
Review: why the hell does everyone say that??
good movie dont see shrek 2 looks dumb

Rating:
Summary: Funny, Insightful
Review: Not unlike "Beauty and the Beast," "Shrek" engages the viewer to know beauty is what is beyond the skin.

The DVD is loaded with extras, but frankly, you might not bother with them. Your kid will play with them, exploring them once or twice, but the movie is the real treat. The mock interviews with the characters are intriguing, and worth watching. The re-voice studio is a hoot, and you'll dig showing it off to your friends, but it loses its novelty soon enough. Because it is a DVD, your kids can watch it into eternity without worry of it wearing out.

Lithgow is very Lithgow, much the same personality as he was on "Third Rock from the Sun."

Cameron Diaz's princess character looks remarkably like her.

Eddie Murphy makes a great sidekick. I was skeptical that he might be too over-the-top, but found his voicings to hit the tone perfectly, with great comedic skill. In short, he's hilarious.

The movie is packed wirth allusions to old great movies and cartoons, mostly Disney, and adults will smile everytime they discover a new line or sequence from a movie they grew up with. Watch for "The Princess Bride," "Robin Hood," "The Sound of Music" and a bevy of other homages.

The ending surprised me, but I'll not spoil it for you.

I fully recommend "Shrek."

Anthony Trendl

Rating:
Summary: Simply WONDERFUL!
Review: An outstanding animated romantic comedy, Shrek, brings to the screen the love story between, an ogre (Shrek), and a beautiful princess (Fiona), with all the ups and downs that that entails! In addition, the couple finds itself in the company of adorable characters from classic fairy tales, with the cherry on the cake being the hilarious talking donkey.
It is a film about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, love, and inner strength.
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the animation does come ALIVE)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs. The film is simple enough, but does a great job of describing people's every day lives and the problems they face. It just goes to show that simplicity is often far better than complexity, when trying to present issues of a human nature.
The setting, the plot, the dialogues, the HUMOR (!!!) and the music are all wonderful!
In short, Shrek is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection! Strongly recommended along with Shrek 2.


Rating:
Summary: Very Good and Very Funny
Review: This is one of my favorite movies I have seen, and most of my friends like it too. They are all about my age. We had a Girl Scout sleepover and watched it twice. I like that Fiona is more than just a girl. She can fight and we find out she is an ogre too. I like a lot of kid's stories and alot of fairy tales, and this was fun for me to watch because I recognized some of the stories I read when I was younger like the gingerbread man and pinnochio. I think they did a good job with this movie and I am glad it is on dvd so I can watch it over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Make sure you get the special edition...
Review: The cheaper version of this film doesn't include the widescreen version of the film, but the 2-disc special edition does. If you want to watch this beautifully-animated movie in all its glory, a cropped version just won't do.

And this is a beautifully-animated movie. I watched it again after enjoying it in the theatre twice when it came out and was pleased to discover that it not only looks remarkably clear but remains as funny today as the first time. Amid the layered humor and references to various fairy tales, "Shrek" has a message about judging people based on their hearts rather than their appearances that works for kids and adults alike. If you've been living in a cave and somehow missed this movie, see it now. If you haven't seen it in a while, see it again. You'll laugh just as hard the second (or third) time around.

Rating:
Summary: Awful!
Review: I am 13 and i just loved it. I have seen it over 10 times since it came out to theaters. It brought a joy to me when Donkey talked to Shrek.In the beginning i was shocked to see that donkey fly. How did the crew members think of it? I am so shocked that they got everything so cool into the movie.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Funny Well Made Animated Film
Review: Oh what a great movie this was. Shreck(Mike Myers) and a donkey named Donkey(Eddie Murphy) make this movie an I'm crying and it hurts because it's so funny movie. Shreck and Donkey go out on a quest to go to the highest room in the tallest tower to save a princess. This great movie is fun for the whole family. Plus the extras in this DVD are funny as well.

Rating:
Summary: Most overrated piece of garbage ever
Review: I wish there was a zero star rating, because that's exactly what I would have given it. I hate this movie with a passion. I don't think I've ever hated any other movie as much as I hate Shrek. It's an overrated, inane, pedestrian, and completely pointless film which should have a huge "NOT FOR CHILDREN" sticker on it. There's not an ounce of originality, imagination, depth or moral in this film. What, "looks aren't as important as what's on the inside"? Please. Make more fun of Farquad's short stature and small, er, manhood throughout the entire film, why don't you - now THAT will get your message across... And it's not even this hypocritical tidbit that renders the film's message void. A young woman like Fiona who belches and makes birds explode without any sign of remorse is bound to be called an ogre regardless of whether she turns into one at night or not.

Even if this was meant as an adult movie I would still find it appaling. Not because of the rude jokes, I'm as foul-mouthed as the next person and definitely not a prude. There are a hundred other reasons to hate it. It wants to be clever but it's not. It wants to be creative but it's not. It wants to be revolutional but it is most definitely not. Its formula is trite and ludicrous: take a couple of famous actors' voices, throw it together with every character and storyline from classic fairytales you can think of, add badly-remade pop-music hits, and garnish with a monstrous amount of potty humor, and there you go. An instant "masterpiece". NOT.

Don't waste your money or time, go see "Monsters Inc." or "Toy Story" or "Finding Nemo" or even "Ice Age" instead - all of which incite powerful emotions and teach important lessons a child can actually learn from. Stay as far away from this trash as you can. Your children will be better off without it, believe me.

Rating:
Summary: Too much fun...
Review: I'm sorry that it took so long for me to see this film. We recieved Shrek and Shrek II, from the kids..who were horrified to learn we had not seen either. Usually our taste in entertainment is miles apart from our kid's and grandkids, but this film hit a home run with me. I laughed so hard I hurt the next day. The really neat part is that no one character stole the show. Even though it kind of followed a traditional story line it was just enough different to keep ya guessing. The actors chosen to do the characters were perfect. Mike Meyers is a genius with voices, Eddie Murphy's donkey was absolutely right on. Great story, great characters and a happy ending...what more could you want? Highly recommend.