Lame film that depends on audience familiarity with earlier classics of the genre

Rating: 2/10 (4 December 2002)

I feel like one of the few people in the world who was not impressed by SHREK. Its characters were predictable (for an animated film made in America in 2001), its humor was of the bathroom variety, and its situations, like the one where the donkey teams up with the ogre to rescue the princess, appeared forced and contrived. The music was good, at least.

The worst criticism I have of the film is that it relies very heavily upon audience familiarity with the conventions in Disney films like CINDERELLA, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, and even other non-film Disney properties like Disneyland. I got bored with the movie after only 45 minutes, and decided I had better things to do with my time.

I much prefer a stand-alone animated comedy. ICE AGE is a good example.