You will laugh! Excellent, humorous, sophisticated, entertaining...

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2001)

_Shrek_ is an entertaining film that is simply funny, but also satirical and often sarcastic. Kids CAN enjoy it, though be warned that it does have those tell-tale bits of toilet humor that always seem to sneak into films starring Mike Myers or Eddie Murphy. Of course, the film takes shots at Disney, as well as heroic fantasy and mythic tales. It's very funny, and does have something for everyone.
The plot is fairly predictable, though it does have a few surprises, and it does leave a couple mysteries unanswered at the end of the movie.
The animation is fantastic, but of course it does have a distinctive "digitized" style that feels like watching a PlayStation 2 game for 90 minutes. Really a wonderful achievement, but it may not be something everyone appreciates.
The use of music was one of my favorite parts of the film: from Eddie Murphy's (as the Donkey) intentionally horrible, toneless renditions of a couple soul classics early in the film, to some well-placed sentimental, pop tunes later in the film, the music really goes a long way towards making the film more enjoyable and humorous
Final verdict: A fun, funny film that can entertain adults and children and which puts an affirming twist on the "ugly duckling" tale. See it yourself for the humor; take the kids to see it for the fun and the positive "moral" at the end of the story.