Excellently animated, if slightly overhyped.

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2001)

No doubt about it, Dream Works is proving to have the innovation and ability to keep up with Disney, but I don't think they've out-done them yet. Don't get me wrong, Shrek's animation is great, and the story is a nice twist on the classic fairy tale, and unless Monsters Inc or any of the other upcoming animated movie really deliver, Shrek will win the first award for best Animated Feature at this years oscars.
I think Shrek's story is very original, but for such an original story there are so many things that are unoriginal. Matrix spoofs (we need more of those like we need three legs) Another fat scotish guy played by Myers, another "All Star" song and more Disney bashing than you can shake a stick at. Everyone laughs at the Disney bashing, and I laugh at it too, but i fell that this movie almost devoted too much time to Disney bashing. Why would a company put so much money into making a film with great animation and fill the scene by bashing another company? Mr. Katzenberg, please, who are you trying to kid? I see more shrek toys than Atlantis toys at the store, and surely it's only a matter of time before Dreamworks characters are walking around the pretend streets of a theme park.
I feel like I'm complaining so much when I really did like the movie, it's cute, I loved the love sick dragon, the little talking donkey, the kick-butt princess and all the character of fairy tales (especially the singing Robin Hood).
It's good to see a little competition for Disney after all these years, but Dreamworks still have a long way to go. I feel that Disney's recent CGI like Toy Story 2 and Bug's life are better than this movie, and as far as I concerned while Disney is slipping, they are still the animation kings.