Shrek

Rating:
Summary: SHREK, The Perfect, And Shining, Example...
Review: ...of everything that's wrong with the film industry of America today.

In writing this review, the question I'd like to ask everyone who has given this film such a high rating is simply, WHY?? What is so special about this VASTLY overrated piece of garbage that's been hailed by so many critics and moviegoers alike as being unique, clever, a masterpiece, and so on?

Like so many other curious film buffs out there, I wasn't even interested in seeing "Shrek" when it came out in theaters, but after hearing so many great things about it from so many people, I finally decided to go ahead and give it a look when it came out on video. Just for the record, I didn't spend any money on it, but some of my friends had rented it and I decided that I'd give it a try and find out what all the fuss was about.

And now, after having seen "Shrek", I still don't know what all the fuss was about! What you have here, is an ogre that speaks with an annoying Scottish accent supplied by, the usually likeable, Mike Myers, an annoying donkey sidekick given voice by the even more annoying Eddie Murphy, a stuck-up airhead of a princess personified by the equally stuck-up airhead Cameron Diaz, and a whiny little wiener of a Lord voiced by the somewhat talented John Lithgow.

The PG rating awarded to "Shrek" is just as much of a joke as the movie itself is, with there being no small amount of farting/belching cracks and crude humor spread throughout the film, foul words a plenty, and enough not-so-subtle suggestive references to make even the most liberal of grandmothers blush. "Shrek" even has the nerve to try and rob children of their imaginations and love for classic fairytales as the movie continuously portrays timeless and wonderful characters like Snow White and Cinderella (the two Princesses, at one point, get into an argument which leads to a fist fight!), among others, as being nothing more than sleezy, snobbish burdens on society!

And now, as is the current trend of major motion picture studios to crank out rather unremarkable run-of-the-mill sequels to their animated films (I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Di$ney releases "Snow White and the EIGHT Dwarves"), I hear there's going to be a "Shrek 2", and I imagine all the same mindless, shallow, superficial critics and moviegoers who helped make the first such an undeserved success will do the same for its follow-up as well!

That's really just about all I have to say regarding the movie "Shrek". I've already wasted more time on it in writing this review than it's worth.

Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: Shrek
Review: Believe it or not but this is a movie everyone will love. It's got some slight innuendos only adults might catch and funny moment kids will love. I highly recommend this video in everyone's collection.

Rating:
Summary: A fairy tale for the South Park (de)generation
Review: A love story between a farting ogre and a belching princess, *Shrek* poses as an iconoclastic movie, gleefully destroying the romance and spirituality of classic fairy tales with a mixture of teenage irreverence, bad taste, rock'n roll music, anachronisms and trendy cynical humour. Apparently, noone realizes just how formulaic the whole movie is (cliche-bashing being just as predictable as the cliches it bashes), down to the buddy-movie stereotype of the taciturn hero developing a friendship with an annoyingly talkative sidekick. Even the short-legged king coveting the hero's love interest is borrowed from the French animated masterpiece, *Le Roi et l'Oiseau*- a much more subtle attempt to reinvent the fairy tale (even though Prevert was not that subtle himself.)

Now what explains the success of *Shrek*, apart from the massive advertising campaign and the current popularity of outrageously bad taste?

I think America has recognized itself in the main character. Shrek lives in a cabin in the wilderness, like the pioneers of old, and is mostly concerned with the defense of his property rights and the ousting of squatters from his land : the typical American mindset. His individualistic, don't-tread-on-me attitude leads him into conflict with a despotic King, symbolizing the Old-World order which Republican America has been so sucessful at overthrowing over the centuries. And in the pursuit of his own self-interest, Shrek uses his awesome physical power (soon seconded by that of a Dragon, probably symbolic of the atomic bomb) to become a kind of benevolent world policeman, vandalizing churches with the same glee as modern Americans' French Huguenot ancestors, echoing America's centuries-old hatred of Catholicism. Finally, Shrek's obesity and rough manners suggest a life of abundance where high culture and the life of the spirit have been sacrificed to the pursuit of more down-to-earth materialistic pleasures.

(If you are interested in this analysis of America's historical role, I highly recommend the short, five-volume history of the United States published by Angelus Press under the title *Puritans's Progress*. Interestingly, in volume 3 p102, the authors mention a late 19th century Uruguayan essay entitled *Ariel*, in which the author, Jose Enrique Rodo, « contrasted the spirituality and culture of Latin America, which he likened to Shakespeare's Ariel, with what he considered to be US materialism- Caliban ». Shrek is just that : a cartoon Caliban, and the same symbolism applies.)

Another factor in the success of the movie, I think, is that it exploits the neuroses of modern Americans. It tells fat, ugly-looking people that they can actually get the girl. And it reassures girls who know exactly what they would look like without the plastic surgery, the make-up, the collagen, the silicon breasts, the intricate hairdo, the candlelight and the alcohol imbibed by their male prey. What the movie is saying is that we are all flawed individuals, and that we deserve to get the girl, because underneath, she is just as unappetizing as we are, and just as devoid of manners.

It is a pity that so much technology and animating talent should be forced to serve such ugliness : if you really want to see what beauty computer animation can achieve, rent *Final Fantasy* instead.

Rating:
Summary: All of you, get out of my swamp!
Review: This DVD was given to me as a gift, and honestly, I first thought I wouldn't like it. Thinking I didn't have the time to see it, I put off watching it until the day I really had time for anything. However, after watching it, I found it to be surprisingly funny and entertaining. The animated characters and plot of this movie are reminiscent of the old "Fractured Fairy Tales" of the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show". This is an animated feature suited for all ages. Although the character of Shrek may seem gross and disgusting to most people at the beginning of the film, later on, you'll be cheering him on as he plays a hero out to restore the privacy and sanctity of his swamp (his home).

Rating:
Summary: The Gingerbread man was delightful
Review: Making fun of Disney was fun, and all and the graphics were awesome, but this wasn't a good film by any means. The DVD is one of the best, though, so if you liked it, remember that. This movie just had a boring plot and the typical one-liners, not a stand-out movie to me, word of mouth worked for this, and maybe the inexplicable love for all things Mike Meyers.

Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: I thought this dvd was excellent. The movie itself is a classic.
Though it did rank on Disney through the movie, it is a classic fantsy tale. Mike Myers was great as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as the donkey took him back to the days when he did Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop. I laughed through the whole thing. This is a must see.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: A very charming funny portrayal -both a spoof of fairy tales and a fairy tale in itself.

There where some particularly memorable moments and this together with the great humour ,animation,acting and music is what makes it great , and provides so much originality that the simple plot doesn't matter in the least.
All the characters where great -Shrek (Mike Myers) ,the Donkey (Eddy Murphy with his unmistakeable spunk) ,Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and the evil Lord Farquarson but so was the portrayal of the minor characters , many of whom where famous tales from many Fairy Tales-including a Ginger Bread Man who had been cruelly maimed by Lord Farquarson and an incorrigible French-accented Robin Hood and his band of thieves.

I loved the subplot of the romance between the donkey and the girl-dragon ,especially the scene near the end where they play the Leonard Cohen classic 'Hallelujah ' flashing from a moping Shrek to the Princess to the Donkey visiting the love-sick dragon and putting their romance into place.
I thought the dragon was a particularly delightful, character though she didn't actually talk.

The music at the end was also delightful ,with the Who's Who of Fairy Tales participating in the singing and dancing at the end to some well known pop hits .

Rating:
Summary: Wow the extras
Review: Not only do you get to watch the movie with the option to skip around from scene to scene but then there is the extra features like the game swamp. (wich I couldn't find for a long time) and the games there are fairly boring... but when u put it in your computer the games become very cool like gingerbread man handman or dubing your voice over characters in bunches of scenes. Im sorry about my spelling.

Rating:
Summary: IT'S A WINNER!
Review: When we first purchased the DVD of Shrek, I wondered how can this movie impress me more than the animation of Disney? How can this movie be funny with an ogre? Boy, was I wrong.
My whole family loves Shrek. The kids love the characters such as the fairy tales, the ogre, the donkey, and princess Fiona. My kids understood the movie. They are ages 4 1/2 and 2. The adults loved the movie because of the smart humor and innuendos that kids cannot understand yet. The music sent us back to the 70's, 80's, and 90's.
I have to say this is a wonderfully written movie. The animation alone is superb. It is more realistic than Toy Story and Monsters Inc.
It gave me an opportunity to supplement the movie with fairy tales that were pretty lengthy. The kids like to pick out the characters that they have read about in the books. The movie is so rich in detail that everytime you watch you find something new. This helps to make the movie more exciting.
I look at it as a great adventure. In my case, this is the only movie that my kids are not fighting or talking. They sit there like zombies glued to the set.

Rating:
Summary: CHEERS FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE!
Review: A princess, guarded by a dragon, waits in a castle for rescue by her true love. Such is the plot of "SHREK". The wonder and innovative rejumbling of fairy tale characters makes this an utterly delightful film. The cliches are changed; the prince is not so charming after all. The big bad Ogre is a good guy and the princess is under a spell with an unusual twist. Her freedom, and transformation scene is clever. The little folk do survive the "dastardly deeds" of the Prince, and manage to live happily ever after. It's all wonderful fun. Much like, "ANTZ", and "A BUG'S LIFE."