Rollicking Family Entertainment

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2005)

"Shrek" is even better rollicking family animation fun than "Chicken Run" released earlier in the year.
I loved not only the satirical references to Disney movies, but to Disneyland itself, as well as to other classic movies like "Wizard of Oz," all sly jokes to entertain the adults on top of the jokes the kids will get. Did the plot point of an evil chief of state banishing the fairy tale creatures have to do with Disney no longer using fairy tales as animation inspiration?
The voice overs are terrific, Mike Myers with a Scottish burr, John Lithgow as a delicious villain (even if the short stature jokes run counter to the love people despite how they look theme), and especially Eddie Murphy who even tops his sidekick role in "Mulan" for his jackass here.
Perhaps this was another dig at Disney, but there was no original music, instead clever covers, including a surprising use of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as done by John Cale, originally from the Leonard Cohen tribute album "I'm Your Fan" (though it's Rufus Wainwright on the soundtrack CD), and the Proclaimers as a Scottish touch (though not "500 Miles" oddly enough though it would have fit the particular scene better). The finale cover of "I'm a Believer" practically drove me out to the record store to pick up the CD, which I did a week later.
I even stayed for a second showing to see the finale again, as my son had recommended seeing it twice.
(originally written 6/15/2001)