A fine piece of cinema.

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2001)

I won't keep you in suspense. This is a great movie. In fact, it's the greatest film I've seen this year. Shrek is the latest release from DreamWorks Pictures and, by my count, the fifth fully computer animated major motion picture.
DreamWorks itself is a really great company. After all, it was started by three guys with enough money and enough integrity that they can afford to take the time to carefully select projects to work on. This means they can devote their resources exclusively to what look like quality films. Go to their Web site and see the list. While they're not all winners, you'll see that they've already given the world a really fine body of work.
Shrek revolves around the exploits of an ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) who's on a quest to get his swamp back from the local government. This government is personified by one Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Farquaad has decided to round up all the magical fairy tale characters in the land and put them into what is basically an internment camp. As this camp just happens to be on Shrek's land, he inadvertently becomes their hero and liberator when he sets off to confront Farquaad about the matter.
Farquaad wants to be a king, but for that to happen he must marry a princess. With a little help from the magic mirror, he locates the three most eligible candidates and eventually settles upon Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) who lives in the tallest tower of a castle waiting for true love. As Farquaad doesn't really feel like rescuing Fiona himself, when Shrek arrives, a deal is struck to exchange the deed to the swamp for the rescued princess.
I just can't say enough about how good this movie is. It's smart, it's funny, it's entertaining; you name it, it's got it. This is truly what family cinema is supposed to be like. Family cinema should, by definition, appeal to all ages, and this film does an excellent job. There's humor for everyone here. Like Antz, the film contains subversively planted, more adult-oriented jokes and even some mild profanity. A scene in which Farquaad tortures a gingerbread man is absolutely priceless, as are dozens of clever references to every fairy tale, nursery rhyme and fable imaginable. Picture a movie with as many subtle jokes as a two-hour Simpsons episode.
The voice talent is great. I never would have thought of Mike Myers, a relatively small guy, to be the voice of a giant ogre, but he does a wonderful job. Eddie Murphy is very funny as Donkey and has some of the best lines in the film. Cameron Diaz is no stranger to comedy after films like The Mask, There's Something About Mary, and Charlie's Angels and her voice works great with an animated body that's almost as hot as she is. Finally, John Lithgow is brilliant as the maniacal Farquaad. The physical resemblance between these actors and their computer-animated counterparts is apparent, but not overstated. Everything fits perfectly.
The CGI employed in Shrek is, as one might expect, light years beyond anything we've seen thus far. In the close ups, every hair, every pore is visible making this amazing world cartoon-like yet photo-realistic all at once. The music in the film is also particularly noteworthy. It's a mix of contemporary hits and original score and the two work well together and with the story.
I've seen Shrek twice now and it was every bit as enjoyable the second time, so I suggest you do so as well. If ever a movie was worth your seven-fifty, this is it. Take your friends, take your siblings, take your mom. With everything from a fire-breathing dragon to break-dancing pigs, Shrek is not to be missed.