the computer - animated comedy " shrek " is designed to be enjoyed on different levels by different groups . for children ,
it offers imaginative visuals , appealing new characters mixed with a host of familiar faces , loads of action and a barrage of big laughs ( including numerous gags related to body functions and yucky substances , apparently a requisite in contemporary family films ) .
for adults , it 's a fractured fairy tale packed with rude jokes that will sail over the heads of the kids .
all in all , " shrek " is a snappy ride , although there are a couple of points i found disturbing .
but first the basics .
based very loosely on a 1990 children 's story , " shrek " follows several momentous days in the life of the title character , a rotund green ogre voiced by mike myers in that pleasant scottish accent
he is so fond of using .
shrek is a grumpy fellow living a solitary life deep in the swamp , until a local nobleman disturbs his peace .
petty tyrant lord farquaad ( take away the " awk " in the middle
and you have the basis of a string of impolite one - liners ) owns the land on which shrek resides .
he proceeds to turn the ogre 's yard into an ellis island for storybook characters when he banishes the fanciful beings from his castle .
as a result , shrek finds himself surrounded by legends like the three blind mice , pinocchio , the big bad wolf , the seven dwarfs , and the three bears , to name but a few .
an enraged shrek storms to the castle , only to find farquaad ( john lithgow ) ready to bargain .
lord obnoxious wants to become king and the magic mirror from " snow white " has shown him the way .
all he has to do is rescue a damsel in distress and make her his wife .
the mirror unveils three choices in a presentation straight out of " the dating game " ( when snow white is shown , the cheeky announcer purrs , " even though she lives with seven men , she 's not easy !
" ) farquaad selects the lovely princess fiona ( cameron diaz ) and offers shrek a deal :
if the ogre snatches fiona from the dragon - protected , lava moat - filled castle in which she is held captive and brings her to the throne , the lord will allow the fairy tale pests to move back on his grounds .
shrek reluctantly agrees and sets off on his quest , accompanied by a motor - mouthed donkey ( eddie murphy ) determined to make the green grump his best friend .
they finally hook up with the princess , only to learn she is not the helpless maiden they expected to meet .
for the matter , the dragon offers a few surprises as well .
the movie references a great many other flicks , from " babe " ( " that 'll do , donkey .
that 'll do " ) to " the graduate .
"
but the lion 's share of the jokes come at the expense of the wonderful world of disney .
the public - domain characters made into icons in various disney films take their hits ?
pinocchio is referred to as a " possessed toy " and when shrek spies a sleeping snow white in his cabin , he bellows , " get that dead broad off the table ! " ?
but the biggest slams come when shrek visits farquaad 's royal domicile , which closely resembles a certain magic kingdom , from its souvenir stands and queue lines to a display of animatronic figures that sing the palace rules in a relentlessly peppy tune that sounds a lot like
" it 's a small world .
" which brings me to disturbing point number one .
i laughed at all the disney swipes , but found the mentality behind them a bit sad .
the acrimony between dreamworks honcho jeff katzenberg and disney big wheel michael eisner is well known .
for years the two companies have tried to sabotage each other 's film and video releases by issuing similar competing productions on the same day .
and now we have katzenberg using an entire movie to attack his former employer .
here 's a suggestion for the two boys : grow up !
put the past behind you !
there 's room in the sandbox for both of you and if you farquaads ca n't play nice , then go to your rooms !
the other area i found troubling came in the portrayal of lord farquaad .
beyond all the irreverence , " shrek " actually has a message : people should learn to look beyond physical appearances , because true beauty lies within .
it 's a lovely notion , but the film betrays its own moral by incessantly taking cheap shots at farquaad 's diminutive stature .
do we really need a family film reinforcing the idea that mocking short people is acceptable ?
the pompous , selfish behavior of farquaad is enough to make him a target for zingers .
adding short jokes is simply mean .
still , " shrek " is a rollicking good time .
the computer animation is mostly impressive
( although several key characters look like animated rubber squeeze toys and the human movements are often jerky ) , the voice work is strong ( particularly from eddie murphy ) ,
the laughs come fast and furious , and the moral , tainted though it may be , is a good one . to trot out a clich ? , " shrek " is fun for all ages .
parents , though , should remind their young ones during the ride home
that taunting others because they are short , tall , skinny , fat , etc . is a bad thing .
is fun for all ages i laughed the laughs come fast and furious the voice work is strong is a good one loads of action and a barrage of big laughs a snappy ride the computer animation is mostly impressive a rollicking good time it offers imaginative visuals appealing new characters mixed with a host of familiar faces