An excellent movie

Rating: 9/10 (8 November 2001)

Although I loved TOY STORY and A BUG'S LIFE, SHREK did not look too appealing to me when it first came out. Now, not only is it one of my favorite animated movies of all time, it is one of my favorite movies of all time, period. Although it's difficult for me to decide whether I liked this one or MONSTERS, INC. (9/10) more, I think SHREK is slightly better.
First of all, the four lead voices in this film are perfect for their respective roles. Eddie Murphy and John Lithgow stood out especially to me. Eddie Murphy is hilarious as Donkey. He definitely had the funniest lines in the movie and he easily stole the show. Eddie Murphy, it would seem, is ideal for voice-over work. And John Lithgow is perfect for the role of Lord Farquaad, the stuck-up villain of the film who wants to be king. Lithgow makes him sound evil, but funny at the same time. Mike Myers gave the best voice anyone could have given for the lead character Shrek, and Cameron Diaz can best be described as "cute", which is perfect for her character, Princess Fiona.
I love the way the story uses all the classic fairy tale characters to make this modern-day fairy tale. The "beauty and the beast"-like romance between Shrek and Princess Fiona really works, even better than most romance movies I've seen as of late. And of course, this movie has laughs galore! I found myself laughing out loud many times, especially at Donkey, the Matrix spoofs, and the little inside jokes that some of the younger viewers might not understand.
This one is definitely a film for all ages. I hope it wins the first Oscar for an Animated Film this year (although I'd be happy if MONSTERS, INC. won, too). I've watched this movie a few times since I bought the DVD a few days ago, and it only gets funnier and better every time I see it.
9/10