Shrek
Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson
Starring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, John Lithgow, Cameron Diaz, and Jim Cummings.
When it comes to lovers of computer animation, it seems as though battle lines have been drawn. Either you like Antz or A Bug’s Life. I’m a Bug’s Life guy. But still, there were parts of Antz that I liked, making me wonder if the people who made Antz could do something better for their second effort. Their second effort was Shrek, and, at least I can say, it’s better than Antz.
Shrek (voice of Myers) is an orge. He lives in a swamp in the kingdom of Duloc, and pretty much keeps to himself. One day, he manages to save a talking donkey (Murphy) and, like it or not, Shrek aquires a sidekick. Then, stange things start happening. All these fairy tale creatures start appearing in Shrek’s swamp. Seems that Lord Farquaad (Lithgow), the ruler of Duloc, has taken to deporting these people so he can create a perfect kingdom. Shrek goes to Farquaad to try and get his swamp back, and he and Farquaad make a deal. It seems that Farquaad can’t become a king until he marries a princess, so, if Shrek goes and rescues the Princess Fiona (Diaz) for him, Shrek gets his swamp back. So, Shrek and Donkey rescue Fiona, and head back to Duloc. But, complications begin to ensue as Shrek and Fiona begin to fall in love. Will Shrek get his swamp back? Will true love conquer all? And what exactly is Fiona’s dark secret, causing her to take cover every nightfall?
This movie just plain rocks! From the opening gag to the closing credits, I just couldn’t stop smiling. It also helps the every Disney cliche gets a kick in the pants, from subtle digs at Disneyland to characters pleading with others to stop the singing. The animation is definitly up there with Pixar’s quality, and a great selection of classic rock songs fill the soundtrack. Myers is great as Shrek, but Murphy really steals the show as the Donkey that just won’t shut up. And, in the end, it’s got a great, not-so-subtle moral. This is one to be treasured for the ages! Since (as of this writing) it’s the #1 movie of 2001, I suggest you go see it if you haven’t already. This is just one funny movie.