Jon Monsarrat review: Kids movie & for adults, too. Formulaic but hilarious.

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2002)

"Shrek" definitely stretches the recent genre of fully 3D animated films. Although there's plenty of the syrupy, Disney-style attitude that fills kids movies to sickening heights, there is also a lot of adult-accessible attitude and wit.
The film the series of little skits are just as funny or more so than those in "The Princess Bride". Basically it is a parody on fairy tales, and quite original on that level.
However, the skits aren't stitched together very well into an overall plot. We see the timeless (and overused) powerful, tall straight man (Shrek, by Mike Myers) and funny, short, annoyingly talkative but somehow charming little man (Donkey, by Eddie Murphy) that we've seen in: Ice Age, Monsters Inc., all the way back to Abbott & Costello. Personally I found the characterization choppy -- the characters don't always do things that make sense for their character, especially the donkey, whom I simply found annoying.
Despite all that, Shrek is definitely worth seeing if you're even remotely interested in fantasy or kids movies.
Who should see this film:
-- kids (and take your parents)
-- adults who dare the occasional kids' flick (this one's safe)
-- fantasy / sci-fi people of all types
I'll give Shrek an 8 out of 10, which is pretty good within the genre of non-risk-taking formulaic feel-good kids' animated films.