Shrek

Rating:
Summary: This Ogre Is A Horror!
Review: Shrek, Dreamworks Pictures, 96 Mins.

It all starts as a traditional fairytale, but transforms into something much worse than just your ordinary "Cinderella" story.
"Shrek', the DreamWorks Pictures release, is a different kind of fairytale, a fairytale transofrmed into a ridiculous attempt at laughter and morality. The first minutes of the film leaves you with an impression of a comedic picture, but it is all deceiving.
With a loud-mouthed talking donkey, a fiery red-headed princess, a hygenically incorrect, large, green ogre, and a midget Lord, it just adds to the boredom. The two characters that most likely stand out the most, are the "Princess Fiona" (Cameron Diaz), and the talking "Donkey" (Eddie Murphy). These characters enjoyable wise cracks, un-expected surprising secrets, left me with very temporary laughter towards this film. These characters were introduced with both humor and drama, which adds a little humorous touch to this "not-all-there" comedy.
Was this film interesting to me? Not at all! This picture left me bored, sleepy and quite annoyed at the "wishy-washy" emotional scenes throughout the film. In some cases, I was laughing at how stupid this film came across for me.
We learn a few lessons from "Shrek". The chemistry bewteen the ogre and Princess gave examples of "opposites attracting", and the REAL "Shrek", instead of the first impressions by the characters gave another example of "don't judge a book by it's cover". These are "attempts" at morals, but don't come out just right.
This film left me utterly dissapointed and wanting more. It was something completely different from what I was originally expecting. Overall, this film was not good, and is not recommended for children over the age of 8, because any person over that age, wil think this is too "over-doing it". Maybe we'll see about the new sequel......

Letter Grade: D+

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: Smart Animated Spoof
Review: This is an intelligent, sly, witty computer-animated film. The animation is top of the line yet still life-like. The film pokes fun at fairy tale cartoons and has a sense of humour that adults will appeal to as well as children. It isn't your typical family film but it's an excellent original one. I did not expect much when I was started to watch it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Hopefully, you will too.

Rating:
Summary: funny stuff
Review: Shrek is one ugly ogre, with a mission on hand, him and donkey have fun all the way.......with true love right in front of shrek the big ogre doesn't know how to react....

Rating:
Summary: More Noticeable for Its Animation Than Its Story
Review: "Shrek" is a mildly amusing modern parody of the timeless tale of the princess who is rescued by her knight in shining armor. Only in this animated tale, the princess is a less than ladylike tomboy, the knight is an ogre, and the knight's steed is a wise cracking donkey.

Shrek is the ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) tasked by Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from the clutches of the evil dragon. Lord Farquaad would do it himself but he's, shall we say, vertically challenged. Princess Fiona has dreams of marrying her rescuer (like it says to do in the fairy tale) until she finds out her rescuer is an ogre.

On the way back to deliver Princess Fiona to Lord Farquaad, Shrek develops a crush on her but is put off by the princess's seemingly haughty attitude. Not just that but they encounter many adventures on their travels that apply a wry twist to the fairy tale genre.

"Shrek" has a problem in that it is a tweener type movie. The humor is too sophisticated for the typical animated movie audience (children) and not subtle enough for their parents. I chuckled a few times during the movie, especially at the donkey (Eddie Murphy), but not enough to want to see it again.

"Shrek" is memorable more for the amazing animation it delivers. Animation is even an incorrect word to use because it was all computer generated. "Shrek" is the movie to herald what computers can do by giving the "actors" very lifelike expressions and movements. Drawn characters could never achieve the level of facial expression computer generated ones will approach. This allows for a more expressive form of humor to develop in this genre that's generally reserved for physical comedians like Jim Carrey or Robin Williams.

Rating:
Summary: still laughing while watching it
Review: DVD Includes interviews and bloopers.

Have watched it many times and I still crack up at that smart mouthed Donkey

Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: The classic fable "never judge a book by its cover." A good lesson for people of all ages. There is both humor along with the moral though and it is very funny however there are a few references that you will be thankful that your kids don't understand. This is a great one for Mike Myers and it is also the best Eddie Murphey movie in a long while. So allI can say is
GO DONKEY AND GO SHREK!!!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious! I LOVE this movie!
Review: This movie is hilarious! I laughed so hard! I fell in love with the characters. It's just one of those movies that you can't resist. I was like "this is a kid's movie. Should I watch it?" Well I went ahead and watched it. This is a classic.. it's not just a children's movie. There's a few "inside jokes" that adults will get but the kids won't. I was surprised at how many people actually fell in love with this movie. I wonder.. did more adults or kids love this movie? :-) I know I love it!

Rating:
Summary: SHREK WILL MAKE YOU SHRIEK WITH LAUGHTER...
Review: When my nineteen year old son suggested that we watch Shrek, I only grudgingly agreed, especially as he had already seen it. Still, how often can one get a teenager to do anything with his mother? So, we hunkered down to watch the film, and am I ever glad that I did. It was absolutely hilarious! This totally irreverent film pokes fun at many fairytale icons. Based upon the book of the same name by William Steig, this is a no holds barred, fractured fairytale, laden with humor, superlative animation, a great script, and a surprising ending. What more can a film lover ask for? It is simply a fabulous film that is sure to appeal to young and old alike.

Shrek (Mike Myers) is a giant, green ogre, who is definitely not a candidate for Mr. America. He lives a solitairy, sterile, and lonely life in a swamp. One day, his whole world is turned up side down. When the diminutive and evil Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) decides to evict all fairytale characters from their homes, the homeless begin squatting in Shrek's swamp, and Shrek is outraged. After making the acquaintance of a loudmouthed, infectiously funny, talking donkey (Eddie Murphy) who has muscled in on Shrek's swamp, an outraged Shrek pays Lord Farquaad a visit, demanding answers about the influx of the homeless in his swamp. What happens at their meeting results in Shrek agreeing to rescue a Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a dragon's den and bring her to the ambitious Lord Farquaad, so that he may make her his bride. In return for a successful rescue, Shrek will once again be allowed to reign supreme in his swamp.

The adventures that the donkey and Shrek have in their determination to fulfill their quest are fun filled and funny. Shrek, who speaks with a soft Scottish burr, is an ogre whose size and fearsome demeanor is belied by his tender heart. Mike Myers infuses this gentle, green giant with a tenderness that makes the viewer fall in love with Shrek. The donkey is brash as only Eddie Murphy can be, totally irreverent and outrageously funny. John Lithgow is wickedly droll, as the size conscious, power hungry, scheming Lord Farquaad. Cameron Diaz, who probably had the toughest role of all, is fine as the fiercely independent Princess Fiona. As Ms. Diaz does not, however, have a distinctive voice, her characterization pales alongside that of the other characters and is the weakest link in this otherwise sensational movie. The film has a surprise ending that is utterly charming and novel. It is an appropriate one for this unique and fiendishly clever film. Shrek is simply a great movie, animated or otherwise. Bravo!

This two disc DVD is loaded with eleven hours of bonus features that will provide fun for the whole family. It allows one to record one's voice over that of one's favorite characters' lines and star in one of twelve entire scenes. It also provides over fifteen interactive games. It features music videos, as well as the more traditional filmmakers' commentary and the always funny technical goofs. These are just some of the special featured provided. The quality of picture and sound is, of course, superlative, as to be expected in a first class DVD. This is a value laden DVD, and one that is well worth having in one's personal collection.

Rating:
Summary: For kids? Really?
Review: Maybe it was marketed that way, but there isn't anything for kids to understand here. Well...perhaps you could show it to the 9-13 crowd and they'd get it, because all the jokes are sublimely blue. And that dragon would scare the bejesus out of a youngin. As an adult, it was mild entertainment, plenty of fairy tale parody and some pop culture references, cuteness, a few absurdities. It wasn't as good as I heard it would be, but I liked it overall. Is there a good plot? Is there a good message? Oh, shut up and see it.