Hugely entertaining, sassy and great-looking...
Comment
09/01/08
Shrek (2001)
89
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:171
Fresh:153
Rotten:18
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: While simultaneously embracing and subverting fairy tales, the irreverent Shrek also manages to tweak Disney's nose, provide a moral message to children, and offer viewers a funny, fast-paced ride.
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Set in a strange, colorful land populated by fairy tale characters, SHREK is a hilarious comedy that will win over audiences of children and adults alike. Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is a fearsome... [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Reviews for Shrek
Top CriticGag by gag -- and there's a stream -- it's merrily irreverent, visually and vocally. The bigger picture, though, is rather more conventional.
06/24/06
Top CriticRecommended.
10/30/02
It delivers what the founders of DreamWorks Pictures originally promised -- alternative yet accessible entertainment.
02/17/02
It's the story itself that makes the film so endearing -- we actually start to care for the characters, even though we know from the start how it will all end.
12/10/01
The movie is a constant delight for its exuberant simplicity, its avoidance of sensational effects, its wit and a true feeling that transcends sentimentality.
08/10/01
Top CriticBeautifully written, gloriously animated and tastily subversive.
06/29/01
Top CriticThis fable structure is allied to both a witty cynicism and sense of fun, which pervades the entire movie in equal measure.
06/18/01
Top CriticKids will love the plot, parents will love the jokes.
04/29/09
No review available.
10/18/08
No one has ever made a funnier jackass of himself than Murphy.
09/01/08
Top CriticNo review available.
12/27/07
Unique brand of entertainment: Simple and straightforward in its textal surface, but sophisticated and witty in subtextual connotations, including racy barbs addressed at Disney, which until recently had monopoly on animation fare, but not anynmore.
05/03/07
What gives Shrek its special artistic distinction is its witty and knowingly sassy dialogue, delivered by vocally charismatic performers whose voices remind us of their stellar screen personae in live-action movies.
04/27/07
Shrek is amusing and charming and it stands on it's own, but it does not rival Disney's best and I'm not saying it needs to, but that simply is the bar.
09/27/06
I seem to be the only one in the world unimpressed by this so-so animated feature.
05/26/06
Absolute perfection!
12/31/05
Bottom line: the story satisfies and the jokes avoid juvenile cliches.
12/06/05
What saves this movie are the performances by the actors, particularly Murphy and Myers.
09/30/05
Truth be told, it's damn enjoyable.
01/29/05
Latest News for Shrek
March 26, 2009:
Total Recall: The Best (and Worst) of DreamWorks Animation
"DreamWorks Animation SKG" isn't the type of studio name that suggests the sort of mystery and wonder we expect from our cartoon features -- in fact, but for the "animation"... More...
December 19, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Twilight Shines In The UK Reviews
It's Christmas week in the UK cinemas, but instead of any festive films on offer, we have the eagerly anticipated (by young girls everywhere...) romantic vampire movie Twilight.... More...
July 18, 2007:
Shrek Films To End At Five?
By now we've already heard that DreamWorks plans to have a fourth "Shrek" movie in theaters by 2010, and that they want to then squeeze out a fifth film. But that, they promise,... More...
June 17, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Fantastic Four" Clobbers Box Office Foes
Fox scored its first number one hit in five months with "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" which grossed an estimated $57.4M on its opening weekend, tripling... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds