Majorly disappointing

Rating: Null/10 (19 September 2002)

Wow. I was jacked to watch this movie with my grandkids. I thought it might be another Shrek, which we have all watched together numerous times. Shrek is clever and densely packed with humorous details such as the parking lot sign that states, "You are parked in Sir Lancelot." This movie however, is so un-clever, so artless, and so derivative, that it is offensive to me purely on an aesthetic basis. But my dislike of this movie doesn't simply stop there.
Admittedly, I am no big fan of Billy Crystal, whose character is supposed to supply the film with most of its comic moments. Unfortunately, the character has no identity other than Billy Crystal doing his shtick.
John Goodman's character fares no better. Imagine, taking a butt-ugly, terrifying monster and emasculating it in order to provide some touchy-feely revelation about the importance of positive reinforcement, and you get a grasp of just how low this movie will stoop to pander to its audience.
Perhaps the worst offense of all is that this is a comedy without laughs. Secondary characters are mindless oafs, drawn in such lazy, broad strokes that it is almost offensive to be asked to laugh at them. Most of the comic scenes fall flat, primarily because they are so derivative, you know what to expect before the punch line arrives.
What a let-down from Pixar, the studio that produced the great Toy Story movies. I'd like to think the blame for this mess can be fixed on the gross and retrograde hand of Pixar's parent studio, Disney. Pray that Pixar throws free the shackles on its next animated production.