A Dream World by DreamWorks

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2006)

Shrek is a sprawling surge into fairytale archetypes and stereotypes  the ogre, the noble steed, the damsel in distress, the evil lord, a fire-breathing dragon, Pinnochio, the three little pigs, the medieval tournaments and the festering forest swamp  it indulges and loses itself in the fun of these staples and it makes no pretense about it. The creators at DreamWorks Studios brush up on an old fairytale premise of a hero saving the damsel in distress from the dragon's keep with intelligent, deft strokes. The result is a meticulously animated, hilarious, heartwarming fluff of a film.
The film's most prominent weapon in its arsenal is humour that takes the form of biting, comical, and even brilliant satire. Nearly every scene is peppered with pop-culture references, spoofs and homages  as has become DreamWorks' trademark of sorts  yet not quite as many of them as in Shrek II. Although it is an evenly enjoyable experience, a handful of scenes truly jump out and grab you. The brilliant rapport between the Gingerbread Man "Gingie" and the evil Lord Farquaad (voiced by funnyman John Lithgow) makes itself known at the beginning of the film in the interrogation room. The morbid lord has torn off Gingie's legs and is now toying with them: "Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!", his wicked veneer transforming into a twisted, sadistic smile, to which Gingie boldly exclaims: "Eat me!"
Shrek, Donkey and Fiona are nevertheless the most thoroughly likable characters and they are given the most screen time in the film. The two former are an unlikely pair: an anti-social, misunderstood green ogre and a clingy, annoying, talking donkey. They reluctantly set out to accomplish a mission for Lord Farquaad  to bring home princess Fiona  but end up with more than they bargained for. It is this genius triumvirate of animated persons that take the front row in DreamWorks' Shrek; they are its goldmine, its heart, its soul and its most blatant source of comedy. It is however easy to see how the film's glorious, meticulous and aesthetically intoxicating setting could overshadow even its protagonist Shrek, yet this aspect is always firmly placed in the backseat of the story. Substance over style, in other words, but rest assured that animated visuals will not get much more striking than this.
I am in fact pressed to find an aspect of the film that was noticeably sub-par. Everything truly is wonderfully created. From the crisp animation to the YMCA/Michael Flatley/Robin Hood spoofs to the rapid-fire pop-culture references to the deadpan deliveries to heartfelt story, all is well-sewn together in the story. Even the mandatory sing-and-dancer number at the end purposely avoids a cheesy approach (unlike Shrek II). I suppose, if anything  it is somewhat heavy on the 'message & moral' side of things and toward the end it often tips over into corny lessons.
8 out of 10