Don't Watch it More than Once or Twice!

Rating: 6/10 (5 June 2007)

I saw "Shrek" for the first time when it came out back in 2001, and found it mildly funny. However, the next time I saw it, the fun was all pretty much gone, and I saw the film for what it really was: not that great.
"Shrek" is the story of the adventures of an ogre named Shrek, played by Mike Myers. No surprises there. When his swampy home is invaded by fairy tale creatures, Shrek embarks on a journey with his new companion Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to find who is responsible. This journey leads him to the scheming Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Farquaad asks Shrek and Donkey to fetch him the lovely Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). This is where the story really begins. "Shrek" is basically a parody of fairy tales in general. There's a wolf in Grandma's drag, a "terrorizing" female dragon, three blind mice dressed like modern blind men, among many others. Unfortunately, the fun of seeing these caricatures and the way they interact wears off after a little while, revealing the film for what it really is: a clichéd fairy tale in itself. The plot is something we've seen a thousand times in the very fairy tales that the film tries to poke fun at.
Still, "Shrek" is certainly fun for a while. The animation is really neat and unique, bringing out the actors who voice the characters. Also, there are some really funny bits with Fiona and Robin hood's band of merry men, as well as some chuckles about Farquaad's Magic Mirror.
Overall, the film is pretty good fun the first time you see it, and does have some really funny moments. I'd recommend that you rent this one and buy the sequel instead.
7/10