Clever send up of Disney

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2001)

I enjoyed Shrek, but as I watched I could almost hear Katzenberg saying, "take that, Michael Eisner." This thought particularly hit home as they approach the castle of Lord Farquar. Still, Shrek has a good enough story and effects to make the satire do what good satire should do, stand on its own.
Oddly enough, at times the satire is more of an homage. The mirror's solo evoked not only a certain 60's-70's game show, but Robin Williams' Aladdin performance (and while the mirror was clever, Williams' performance does not suffer in the least in the comparison). Of course the Beauty and the Beast references are rampant, and again, while the Shrek twist is welcome, the original (well, the Disney original) again well withstands the test of mockery.
The tone of Shrek is that pioneered by Rocky and Bulwinkle (TV show, I did not see the movie) and used to good effect in the Princess Bride. Enjoy this bit of clever, and occasionally poignant, satire.