Publicity material notes that even Princess Fiona's braid has been animated to move in concert with her head. Eddie Murphy's voice, tucked inside a donkey who becomes Shrek's sidekick, brings sparkle to the show with wisecracks that work. Princess Fiona calls a halt to an annoying musical number from Robin Hood and his band of merry men. If some of the jokes sail over kids' heads, so be it. There's enough to keep both big and little people amused.
Kids seem to respond to any form of action.
They'll probably enjoy a sequence in which Shrek and Donkey make their way across a rope bridge that spans a lake of boiling lava. I'm not giving away much to tell you that Shrek and the Princess get a vibe going, and, for all its wiseacre wit, the story delivers a good-hearted message about the source of real beauty. It's inner, you know. Princess Fiona has a secret to protect. In a season when movies haven't given us much reason to cheer, that was good enough for me.