Smart, slick and hilarious

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2002)

John Lithgow is a charming prince and Cameron Diaz is a helpless trapped princess guarded by a vicious, evil monster. Well, sort of!
Actually, our unlikely hero is Shrek (voiced to perfection by Mike Myers), a green Scots ogre with disgusting (but in a funny way) personal habits, living in a swamp. Alone. As you might expect, given his disgusting ogre-ness. And that's the way he likes it, but his personal space is invaded by some very random misfits, including a motormouth donkey (Eddie Murphy. Who else?). This fairytale with a twist has a straightforward plot, but is more than just a family film. It is sharply written, parodying many traditional fairy tales and in particular their film incarnations, and full of more obvious jokes, but like the eponymous ogre, 'Shrek' has a softer heart; the characters are abrasive, but love, friendship and honesty about oneself are its values. The cast really bring life into the characters, and the incredible CGI animation makes Shrek's world very convincing. The action sequences have a great flow, and there is plenty of time for the slower moments. Shrek should be great for the whole family, although they'll laugh at different bits. 9 out of 10.