Revolutionary

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2001)

After years of monopoly over animation, Dreamworks appeared to finally cease with the repeated formula used for most children's movies. Shrek is completely unexpected, twisting everything you're used to seeing on a movie. The most important of them all: it is sincere. Besides the amazing acting from all the cast, there is authenticity on the actions of the characters. Against "Beauty and the Beast", this movie truly shows what true love is expected to be. There is no need for the ugly character to become beautiful. That's important. It truly breaks the mad vanity in which the world is sunk. It's not like "The Hunchback of NotreDame", in which there is NO WAY the girl can fall in love with Quasimodos. It shows depth. Besides that, it portraits the characters doing "human" things, like joking and laughing at each other, and burping or cursing. Some people seem to be offended by that. I find it great. Why keeping this kind of behaviour hidden? It's in all of us, anyway. Kids must learn to find it natural, not to create some myth around it. The main character, Shrek, who is rude, ugly and selfish, still has a lot of charisma. And we feel it because he is truthful. Irony, action, romance, lots of fun and a fast-paced story makes this movie extremely enjoyable. It was about time someone would revolutionize fairy tales.