Shrek

Rating:
Summary: The voice of dissension
Review: From the opening minutes of Shrek, I wished I had spent my money on another movie. The humor was crude, and the storyline was contrived. I believe this movie was meant to be a spoof of all of the good animated films that have been released in recent years. But a spoof you would at least expect to be funny. The animation was fine.

Rating:
Summary: Shrek is one weak fairytale indeed.
Review: Shrek is the newest animated film from Dreamworks Pictures and PDI animation studio. It stars the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and John Lithgow. Mike Myers is the voice of the ogre misanthrope, Shrek. He is content living alone in his swamp until his home is invaded by a horde of fairytale creatures that have been evicted by the evil would be king, Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow.) Shrek makes an agreement with Lord Farquaad to go and rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a dragon so Farquaad can marry her and become a real king. Exactly why he has evicted the fairytale creatures is not clear. Apparently they have made his kingdom somewhat imperfect so his remedy was to cast them out. It really doesn't make any logical sense. One of the fairytale creatures is a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy) that escapes his owner and befriends Shrek. The Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) fights with super-human ability at one point. How, why, there is no explanation. It seem like it's just an excuse to throw in a lame Matrix joke that might have played better two years ago. The film is full of anachronisms such as recent pop music tunes and numerous references to TV with applause and laugh signs. Donkey refers to contemporary things like Tic-Tacs for Shrek's bad breath. There are turnstiles and an abandoned Disney-esque theme park. Shrek is entirely derivative of every other classic fairytale and I believe the filmmakers attempted to use this to create an original twist on the classic fairytale but it doesn't work here. Shrek is full of shallow characters that are just thrown in for no other purpose than a cheap laugh. Robin Hood and his merry men make an appearance and he's French. Since when was Robin Hood a Frenchman? He's English. What gives?! They've put in nearly every public domain, royalty free fairytale character into this movie which makes for a twisted amalgam of a story with very little focus. Its attempts to satirize some of Disney's classics like Pinocchio, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. By doing so it only succeeds in illustrating how far superior the characters and story telling are in Disney's animated features.

The crux of Shrek's story is don't judge people by there looks. This is a fine moral to impart to youngsters but the characters in the film make fun of Lord Farquaad height every chance they get. Looks aren't important but height is an appropriate target for ridicule in this film.

For a film that was three years in the making, given the time, effort, and money that was dedicated to it, there should have been more effort paid toward the ill conceived badly structured story that's filled with hollow filler. It's beautifully animated and rendered. The scenic environments and main characters are great to look at but this is one of the few redeeming qualities that keeps the movie from getting an even lower score that I'm going it give it. Perhaps if you're a youngster you'll find this film more enjoyable that I did. Some may find themselves mesmerized by the beautifully animated and rendered scenes, I was not.

Disney's Toy Story 1 and 2 kick butt all over Shrek, which is nearly dreck. Don't go!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Admittedly I was dubious going to see this movie as an adult (with no kids in tow) but what a show! I havn't been that entertained by a movie for years. The animation was terrific, the characters vivid and entertaining, and the plot pleasently simple yet fun. Although it took a few minutes to drift into the world that is created, by the end you won't want to let go. Don't wait to see this movie (and feel free to leave the kids at home, the subtle and not so subtle humor is more fit for adults anyway). It is surely the best movie of the year.

Rating:
Summary: Shrek
Review: I loved it. This is a movie that is not only made for kids, but has jokes put in for the adults also! It is one of my favorite movies ever! I can't wait till it comes out on DVD!

Rating:
Summary: Great Comedic ensemble
Review: This is a funny, funny movie. You should definitely go see it, but be aware that it has a satirical edge that makes it more like "Wayne's World" than "Snow White".

One thing I wanted to point out that I forgot to mention earlier (May 20) was that what makes this movie as good as it is, is the quality of the comedic acting (or at least voice-overs) by Mike Myers and John Lithgow particularly.

For those of you who are recent fans of Mike Myers (post "Wayne's World" and "Austin Powers"), you should definitely check out "So I Married an Axe-Murderer". This is the movie where Myers worked out the kinks on his "misanthropic Scotsman" character, with hilarious effect: I saw SIMAM over seven years ago and I still grin whenever I recall Myers' character singing Rod Stewart and Bay City Rollers songs.

Lithgow is possibly one of the most under-utilized comedians working today. His role as John Whorfin in "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai" deserves to be on the comedians' wall of fame. With the tragic death of Phil Hartman, perhaps Lithgow will get more of the exposure he truly merits. Like Myers, Hartman, Lily Tomlin, Al Franken and Jack Black ("High Fidelity"), Lithgow is a thinking comedian. While they will never get as much popular attention as morons like Adam Sandler (somebody hand me a seal club) their work will ultimately be remembered alongside that of comedy greats such as Carey Grant and Buster Keaton.

Eddie Murphy did well in this movie too but this was not one of his truly stellar performances. This is in part because his humor is really an extension of his stand-up work. For all his undoubted talents, Murphy is not good at sharing the spotlight. Certainly Donkey was a good fit for Murphy but it's nothing like the sparks he generates when he has center stage but also has a rein on his ego ("Beverly Hills Cop 1", "Nutty Professor", "Dr. Dolittle"). Personally, I think Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey ("The Original Kings of Comedy") are much funnier performers and team players. However, their humor is more old-school than Murphy's.

Murphy is also not well-served by the script this time, a similar fate to that which regularly befalls the hilariously funny Chris Rock. (If you want to see Rock at his best, watch his comedy show on cable. A small hint of his talent can be found in "Nurse Betty" where he is outstanding. However, do NOT treat his performance in "Dogma" as a good indication of what he can do)

The sleeper find here is Cameron Diaz, hopefully she will get to do more than be "the girl" in her future work (Fiona had more than a little of other Diaz characters in "There's Something About Mary" and "The Mask" about her). But check her out in "Being John Malkovich" a very funny (though ultimately rather dark)art-house movie.

Go see Shrek, and then go rent the other movies these fine actors have done. This movie is a good example of what can be done with a reasonably funny (with the exception of Donkey) script and great comedic talent.

Rating:
Summary: Children and adults of all ages will eat this one up!
Review: "Shrek" will appeal to both children and adults for many (different) reasons. Children will adore it for the plot and the characters, as well as for the animation. Adults will enjoy it for artistic and thematic merits, which are voiced by the finest drmatic and comedic actors of our time. John Lithgow (and perhaps) Cameron Diaz provide rather scintillating performances with their somewhat "Olde English" dialogue translations, especially Lithgow, whom I presume has had many years of theatrical studies applied to his acting resume. Mike Myers utilizes a portion of his comedic talents while verbalizing a nifty Gaelic accent to his character "Shrek", as opposed to Myers' rather banal, square British dialect for his "Austin Powers" character. Eddie Murphy's vocal stylings are, well, Eddie Murphy's. His vocal characterizations, although somewhat overplayed and overreptitious here, add a spicy and unique comedic element all their own. As far as the animated artwork is concerned, it is in a class all by itself, complete with its worldly, English countryside nuances and themes. There's one small detail, though. The animated movements of certain characters lack some depth, in that some movements seem forced and herky-jerky, creating a slow motion, fast-forward type atmosphere. Credit must be given where credit is due, since these animated features are not all that easy to make, and everything must fall into place exactly. Upon the initial viewing of "Shrek", one will easily notice this feature was filmed with great artistic vision and expression, thus containing an element many of the claymation features are missing (a la "Chicken Run" - a Claymation monstrosity in itself, although the Claymation stylings of "The California Raisins" are worth their weight in gold), and that element is a form of "objet d'art".In discussing the entertainment value of "Shrek", as was previously mentioned, both kids and adults will truly find various elements of this artistic jewel to appreciate. Plus, the kids will come out of watching "Shrek" learning a valuable life lesson, which they'll have to see and hear for themselves. But, to truly appreciate all the glorious wonder of "Shrek", you'll just have to view it for yourself. You can bet the video stores will have a hard time keeping this one on the shelves!

Rating:
Summary: Hysterical!
Review: I'm a teen, and being a big Eddie Murphy fan, I suggested to my parents that we see this movie with my two younger brothers, and we were FAR from disappointed! Aside from the great cast and beautiful animation, the most fun was seeking out the next joke, most of which were made to make fun of Disney, which no one has really attempted to do so much. From such things as Main Street Disneyland to It's a Small World to the end where it was a flat out copy of the scene in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" where Beast is lifted in the air and has beams of light coming from every appendage. Some may not notice a few of the other copies, like flying through the air on a dragon (that SO reminded me of "A Never Ending Story"). It was a great film, and we can't get my four year old brother to stop saying, "We can stay up late, and in the morning, I can make you WAFFLES!"

Rating:
Summary: Winking and twitching.
Review: The animation I adore presents us with the vision of a world that is unaware of the viewer's presence. Princess Mononoke, The Iron Giant, The Nightmare Before Christmas. They let you watch, quite uncaringly, absorbed in the drama. And they can afford that attitude.

Shrek is very different. The movie looks at you all the time and winks. And winks... Very soon these incessant winks develop into the nervous twitch.

The plot is minimal. I know we do not have to apply the logic and common sense to a fairy tale but still I wonder how come the evil prince rounds up the fairy tale creatures for deportation - in order not to see them any more - and then tortures the Gingerbread Man to learn their whereabouts. It's just one of the episodes where the screenwriters show they did a really sloppy job. There are more.

Some of the jokes are mildly disgusting. I have no reason to be offended personally by the sickly puns on the prince's...hm... diminitiveness - I am 195 cm tall, and the main point is not that there is a lot of people out there who are not happy with such taunting. More important is that the height jokes show the gaps in taste and reason of the film's creators. The prince is a bad guy not because he does not qualify for NBA. That's not the reason to see him as evil. In fact, the short man eager to marry a beauty is not as revolting as the film tries to show. And in the real life these untall guys succeed in the task very often!

The visuals are eerily unsettling. The colors look they were not intended for a human eye. The figures' moves are wooden. The knights look like dummies in a dully shining armour. I like puppet animation - especially, Czech - and the clayanimation of Wallace & Gromit creators. These computer-generated dummies are something else. Here I had an impression I am looking at these crappy 3D monitor wallpapers came alive - the weird textures, the rigid figures of outlandish creatures, the nerdish fantasy scenery.

This time DreamWorks came up with the most annoying sidekick in the recent animation history. When Eddie Murphy lent his voice to Disney - in Mulan - the result was much more tasteful and still hilarious. Yes, we are told the Donkey can drive anyone crazy with his frenetic banter but do we really need a proof SO convincing?

The studio makes the point of showing us they are different from Disney. In that case it doesn't mean they are better.

Rating:
Summary: Good but not Great
Review: While I can certainly agree with everyone that "Shrek" is a good movie, especially given the dearth of even acceptable movies recently, the movie doesn't really transcend the fairy tale boundaries that it claims to, and ultimately falls short of its lofty goals. On the one hand, Shrek is indeed funny, and chock-full of pop culture references and jokes that will have you laughing out loud. Eddie Murphy as the Donkey is especially entertaining, although the entire cast is strong as well. But on the other hand, the movie's plot is itself a formula overlaid with enough distractions that its creators hope you won't notice. Although it attempts to spoof the traditional rescue-the-princess plotline with an unconventional antihero and non-traditional heroine, the moral -- don't judge a book by it's cover -- is frankly a little trite and overdone at this point. And unfortunately, the moral isn't even consistent: the king Farquaad is continuously made fun of for his short stature, which is curiously at odds with the movie's intended purpose. Coupled with an unfortunate tendency to substitute bathroom humor and double entendres for true wit, Shrek is by no means a bad movie, but not a great one either.

Rating:
Summary: An Ogre Named What?
Review: A fractured fairy tale if there ever was one, "Shrek," directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, is a highly imaginative, animated comedy that has something in it for everyone. It's funny, witty, at times gross, while at other times, poignant. And there's plenty of humor for children of all ages, while the adult humor (with which it's loaded) is for the most part implied, so parents can rest easy sitting next to their eight-or-ten-year-old sons or daughters; there's nothing in this film that's going to cause any embarrassing moments, and the only question you're likely to hear when it's over is, "Can we see it again?"

When the local Monarch, Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) decrees that his kingdom must be rid of all fairy tale creatures, he has them rounded up and deposited across the line, as it were, into a swamp that just happens to belong to a big green Ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers). Much to his chagrin, as he happens to value his privacy above all else, Shrek soon finds himself bedeviled by a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), as well as having his sensibilities assaulted by the hordes of fairy tale squatters who don't have a clue as to what to do next. Quickly Shrek sees no recourse but to go to Farquaad himself and settle the matter without further ado. And when they meet, the diminutive Farquaad strikes a bargain with Shrek; it seems that in order to become a real King, Farquaad must marry a Princess. But his chosen one, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), is currently being held captive in the highest tower of a castle guarded by a fierce dragon who has slain all that have attempted to rescue her. If Shrek can successfully effect her release, Farquaad promises to restore his swamp and rid Shrek of the pesky fairy tale creatures encamped there. The fearless Shrek agrees, and with the donkey in tow, sets off on his quest.

Besides the humor, the wide appeal of this movie is due in part to the many clever references to other movies, stories and cultural icons it incorporates so well into the story. There's the fairy tale's themselves, of course, like "Snow White," "Pinocchio" and "Cinderella;" and movies like "The Matrix," as well as the cultural phenomenon of "Riverdance." There's a scene that fans of professional wrestling will get a hoot out of, and the scene involving Princess Fiona and Robin Hood and his dancing band of Merry Men is beyond hilarious. There is some bathroom humor, as well, but it's fairly brief and inoffensive-- miles away from anything remotely resembling what you'd expect to find in the latest Jim Carrey movie.

The actors supplying the voices do a great job, especially Mike Myers who brings Shrek so vividly to life, complete with a Scottish accent. Murphy has some great lines as the donkey and makes the most of them, and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona is perfect, as is Lithgow as Lord Farquaad. Other notable voices are supplied by Vincent Cassel (Monsieur Hood), Kathleen Freeman (The Old Woman) and Conrad Vernon (Gingerbread Man). The use of music in this film is exceptional, also. A number of familiar, popular songs are integrated into the story and the action to great effect throughout, and repeatedly, the filmmakers seemed to have an innate sense of knowing just the right song to plug into any particular moment or scene. As with virtually everything else about this movie, it all came together beautifully. In the final analysis, "Shrek" is an innovative, entertaining movie for the whole family that is guaranteed to keep you laughing and smiling for a lot longer than the 89 minutes it's on the screen. This one's going to have you chuckling for the rest of the day-- and beyond. And it all comes down to one thing. It's the magic of the movies.