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SHREK (2001)
4-Star Rating: * * *

Review by Carlos X. Colorado © 2001
http://carlosonfilm.listbot.com

STARRING: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
DIRECTORS: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
WRITERS: William Steig (book), Ted Elliott
RATED: PG. RUNNING TIME: 1 hr., 30 min.

SHREK is a sign that animated movies have grown up, but still retain the kid inside them. Informed by the sophisticated skepticism of recent animation products from "The Simpsons" to "South Park," SHREK harkens back to great classics of children's animation to weave a traditional fairy tale, with a contemporary spin. It's a strange day in Toonland when a misunderstood and lovable ogre (Mike Myers, in the title role) agrees to rescue a princess (Cameron Diaz) for a self-absorbed nobleman (John Lithgow), with a wise-cracking jack ass (Eddie Murphy) in tow ("I have to save my ass," SHREK quips before he rescues Donkey from a fire-breathing dragon, at one point).

The flatulence jokes and contemporary cultural references (pro-wrestling, TV's "The Dating Game," and Rupert Holmes' "The Piña Colada Song," are among the many) are only atmospherics, of course. But, there's more. In addition to the updated casing, SHREK is novel at the core. The moral of the story is to say that it's possible not to have a storybook ending, or a fairy tale life, and still live happily ever after, the end. This moral, of course, makes SHREK a true fairy tale, by the encyclopedic definition of that term.

The difference between fairy tales and other fictional works may be that, unlike other stories, fairy tales personify elemental values through archetypal forms. Enchanted forests and princesses and glass slippers and poisoned apples are the vocabulary with which they express otherwise unspeakable truths about the magic, the nobility, the beauty -- and, the beast -- inside our own actions. SHREK knows this, but it tells it much better than I just did, adding to its language also pieces of popular culture and contemporary life to make its stew palatable and fresh.

An unconventional ending seals a package that is engrossing and ingratiates itself well. In addition to the beauty and the beast story that emerges to the forefront (it's not quite beauty and the beast as it turns out), SHREK is also a buddy tale. Both story lines contain some nice insights about the difficulty of knowing -- really knowing; piercing the defensive walls of -- someone else. The dexterity with which the film handles the theme is illustrated in an exchange where the chatty Donkey (Murphy) tries to probe into SHREK (Myers)'s psyche and SHREK tries to explain himself with a metaphor:

SHREK: Ogres are like onions.
DONKEY: They both smell?
SHREK: No! They have layers. There's more to us underneath. So, ogres are like onions.
DONKEY: Yeah, but nobody likes onions!

The Donkey goes on to propose what he thinks is a better metaphor: Cakes. Cakes also have layers, and everybody likes cakes. So, each character is projecting his own assumptions (A. It's okay not to be liked; B. It's essential not to be disliked!) into the conversation, and thus erecting a wall that neither character can get past. The problem recurs later in the film with respect to the main story. This kind of depth and entertainment value gives SHREK an irresistible charm.