adventure, light romance and double-layered dialogue (which will appeal to
kids and adults equally), Shrek is not a guilty pleasure for sophisticated
animation movie goers; it is, purely and simply, a pleasure. Shrek has again
raised the bar of computer-generated motion pictures - and this was already
at a high level in the wake of Toy Story 2. Shrek boasts an impressive level
of detail and truly amazing rendering of creatures. And, although the human
beings still don't look entirely realistic, they're getting pretty damn
close.
Shrek is essentially Beauty and the Beast with a few clever twists. In the
quirky, irreverent way that it views fairy tales and their conventions, it's
not unlike The Princess Bride. Fans of those two stories will be delighted
here. And, both kids and adults can play a game of "guess how many famous
faces we can see". There are a large number of "cameos": Pinnochio, Snow
White and Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs
(my favorite), the Gingerbread Man, and many more. Our protagonist is an
ogre named Shrek (voice of Mike Meyers). Shrek leads a peaceful and content
life until the day that stumbles into Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy). Donkey
is fleeing soldiers who are rounding up fairly tale creatures with the intent
of banishing them from Lord Farguaad's (voiced by John Lithgow) domain and
into Shrek's swamp. Shrek, with Donkey, quests for Duroc, where Farquaad
holds court. There he makes a deal; quest to rescue the fair Princess Fiona
(voice by Cameron Diaz) in exchange for getting back his swamp. The catch,
she's guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. Farquaad wants her for his wife
(he chose her over Snow White and Cinderella), and figures the ogre as his
best chance.
As impressive as the visuals are - and they are very impressive - Shrek
wouldn't be the movie it is without a quartet of effective vocal performers.
As this kind of animation becomes more prevalent, the importance of choosing
the right voices will need equal care and attention. Voices help define the
characters, and a bad choice can do irreparable damage. Just as not all
silent stars were suitable for talkies roles, so not all live-action actors
can do vocal performances. Fortunately, Shrek has four capable actors.
First and foremost is Mike Meyers, who is a vocal chameleon. Without seeing
his name in the opening credits, you'd never know it was him. John Lithgow's
Lord Farquaad is nasty and short-sighted, but not really evil character;
which makes a pleasant change from the usual animated villian. Eddie Murphy
shows his typical form of comedic genius and Donkey is one of the funniest
characters he has brought to the screen (Here, he improves upon what he
accomplished in Mulan). Finally, Cameron Diaz's pricess is equal parts sugar
and vinegar. She believes in true love and Prince Charming, but, she's not
afraid to do some Matrix-style butt kicking.
Shrek is easily one of the year's most magical experiences.
Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)