Starring the voices of: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Directed by: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

I went to see Shrek with high expectations. My family and I had watched the previews for it during Access Hollywood in complete silence, so in awe were we. The computer graphics were awesome and the list of celebrities who provided voices for the characters was full of big names. Usually with this kind of build-up, it's easy to be let down (e.g. The Mummy Returns). However, Shrek not only met my expectations but blew me away on many fronts.

The story revolves around a monstrous, green ogre (with a Scottish accent) by the name of, surprise, Shrek who is voiced by Mike Myers. He lives alone in a swamp (the first scene, which features his daily hygiene routine, will tell you why none would want to live with him) and seems happy enough living like this. However, the evil Lord Farquaad (voiced by the incomparable John Lithgow) would like to rid his kingdom of all its fairy tale creatures so that he could make the perfect kingdom. So he sends Pinnochio, Sleeping Beauty et al. to Shrek's swamp. Suffice it to say, Shrek is not amused. Shrek, accompanied by a talking donkey Donkey (Eddie Murphy at his funniest), go off to find Lord Farquaad to ask him, "What up?". Lord Farquaad strikes a deal with Shrek that if he saves Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) he can get his swamp back. So, Shrek and Donkey go off to find the princess, saves her from a dragon, etc.... Of course, love blooms between Proncess Fiona and Shrek, but can she get over his hideous appearance? Well, I'll leave that to you to find out.

I know some people will feel a bit weird about going to an animated movie, as well you should be. Most animated movies these days are crap. But Shrek is one of those movies which can be enjoyed by everyone. I mean, how many animated movies do you know that make jokes about penis size, getting head and masturbation (I think). Of course, the producers are wily enough to make these jokes not too obvious, but obvious enough for those older than 13. Trust me, you'll have many good laughs.

Like I said at the beginning, the animation is great. The graphics are smooth and textured. More impressive however is how they integrated the voice actors characteristics into the computer-generated characters. The way Princess Fiona talks and her body gestures are strikingly similar to Cameron Diaz's. The same goes for Shrek, Donkey and Lord Farquaad respectively. This attention to detail is unbelievable. It can't be easy trying to make a huge ogre look like the diminutive Mike Myers.

As if this wasn't enough, Shrek boasts a vicious soundtrack. Not like Disney where you get crappy songs (who actually likes Colors of the Wind anyways?), Shrek goes with some rocking tunes like All-Star from Smash Mouth. It also feaures some other great songs. I'm actually thinking about buying the soundtrack. The final sequence featuring a remake of a famous song is solid gold, much like the rest of movie.

This movie is a definite must-see for the summer. Dreamworks has made the best animated movie since Disney's The Lion King and I, for one, am glad to see Disney's virtual monopoly in animation come to an end. Maybe now we won't be stuck with stinkers like The Emperor's New Groove. Go see this movie, it's worth the $7.50 or whatever outrageous amount of money movie theatres are selling their tickets for. I give it a king of clubs!

Hitch_n_Ditch
King

DroopyMcC		Thoroughly entertaining.
King

ASY		Excellent animation, and outrageously fun.
King

MastaCSG		Great fun, great animation.
Queen