Hugely entertaining, sassy and great-looking...
Shrek (2001)
Tomatometer
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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... 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 green ogre living in isolation in his own cozy little swamp. He is not receptive to visitors, and fends off the occasional party of torch-wielding villagers with ease. But when the power-hungry Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) turns Shrek's swamp into a relocation camp for dozens of banished fairy-tale characters (including some pesky dwarves, wolves, and fairies) Shrek's quiet, introverted life is ruined. Joined by the talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek makes his way to Farquaad's realm of Duloc, where the Lord promises makes Shrek and offer: He will rid Shrek's land of the unwanted visitors if Shrek will go on a simple quest to free Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her remote, dragon-guarded castle and convince her to marry Farquaad. On their quest, Shrek and Donkey run into a number of bizarre situations, and Shrek finds himself realizing that he isn't quite the fearsome monster he has always made himself out to be. Reinventing the traditional fairy tale adventure, SHREK features gorgeous computer animation, a unique sense of humor, and compelling characters--especially Eddie Murphy's lovable Donkey. [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Producer: Aron Warner, John H. Williams, Jeffrey Katzenberg
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
Reviews for Shrek
Gag by gag -- and there's a stream -- it's merrily irreverent, visually and vocally. The bigger picture, though, is rather more conventional.
It delivers what the founders of DreamWorks Pictures originally promised -- alternative yet accessible entertainment.
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.
The movie is a constant delight for its exuberant simplicity, its avoidance of sensational effects, its wit and a true feeling that transcends sentimentality.
This fable structure is allied to both a witty cynicism and sense of fun, which pervades the entire movie in equal measure.
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.
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.
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.
I seem to be the only one in the world unimpressed by this so-so animated feature.
Bottom line: the story satisfies and the jokes avoid juvenile cliches.
What saves this movie are the performances by the actors, particularly Murphy and Myers.
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