Great Satire & a Good Message

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 2001)

"Once upon a time" goes down the drain -- literally.
All the classic cartoon fairy-tale characters are cast out of fairy-tale land by a nasty little dictator with Freudian problems. It is up to the least-likely of heros to save the day -- actually four least-likely heros.
We have self-righteous villagers with torches, an ogre ban on singing, plus types and stereotypes all over the place. All the cliches get squashed till the juices splatter everywhere -- and it's great fun.
The idea that appearances are deceiving is well illustrated without being preachy. We all wear illusions and masks. Maybe if we were simply who we really are, the world would be nicer. Maybe not, but who knows?
While I am not as impressed with computer graphics as many people seem to be, this is still a funny film that everyone can enjoy.