Don't have kids? Don't bother

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2001)

I really expected greatness from Shrek, so perhaps I'm not the best person to give a review. On the other hand, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's read the overwhelmingly glowing reviews from the media. So for those of you who expect Shrek to be an unparalleled triumph, be forewarned: it's not. It's just a good movie to take your kids to.
The animation is undeniably sophisticated and sharp, but you can't last 90 minutes on technique. There needs to be a good story. The story of Shrek does expand on William Steig's 32-page children's story, but not enough to warrant the length. Take away the pokes at fairy-tale conventions and pot-shots at Disney, take away the (often very funny) wisecracking Eddie Murphy as the Donkey, and it boils down to a 15 minute hero-rescues-the-princess plot.
Having said that, I wasn't really ever bored watching it. I just thought with all the time and effort they spent on the visuals, they could have taken more care to make it a more interesting story. It doesn't hold an ear-wax candle to Toy Story 2 and Chicken Run.