Shrek

If you're looking for something a little less wholesome then Disney, but still well within the limits of 'Family values', then may I recommend Shrek. I have not had this much fun watching a movie in a long time. A fantastically fractured fairy tale that prods fun at every childhood story character and plot line that ever existed. No one is left unscathed, including Disney. There are a few major shameless blasts made at the mouse house enterprise but when it's all over, it's mostly harmless. In fact, you may think it was done out of jealousy. Shrek is incredibly animated, with textures and motions that surpass the famed Toy Story series. Every year computer animation gets better and better and this movie uses it to the fullest extent. There is no better format for this movie either. The number and diversity of the characters is well played out and well displayed in computer generation. Standard animation would not have cut it in this movie. The story line is simple; a large imposing Ogre (voiced by Mike Myers in his perfected Scottish brogue) who only wants to be left alone in his swamp, is suddenly imposed upon by every fairy tale character as they are thrown out of the kingdom. They have nowhere else to go. Out of selfishness, Shrek goes to see Lord Farquaad and ends up striking a deal to rescue a princess in order to get his swamp back. Followed menacingly by a Donkey (Eddie Murphy, in his second and even funnier voiceover roll), Shrek ventures off to a dark Castle to rescue the Princess. Upon doing this, in a spectacular battle scene no less, the three head back to Farquaad. Along the way, Shrek finds more to the princess then he thought he ever would, strangely there is something of a soul mate in this beautiful fairy tale lady. Well played also by Cameron Diaz, she is not your typical royalty. She can very well take care of herself, fighting off bandits in Matrix style kung fu precision and keeping up with Shrek in a display of bodily functions. This all leads up to a nice morality play ending that doesn't push the issue and lends to nice surprise as well. All the actors do a splendid job of voicing their characters. Everyone is alive and flowing. Murphy is especially hilarious, topping his performance as the mini-dragon in Mulan, mainly because he doesn't seem to have to hold back as much. The movie is so well paced that there are no lags, it flows right to the end. Funny, satirical, playful and beautifully animated, this movie holds all the right cards for entertainment. Even if you haven't seen it, I would recommend buying it.Not unlike "Beauty and the Beast," "Shrek" engages the viewer to know beauty is what is beyond the skin.The DVD is loaded with extras, but frankly, you might not bother with them. Your kid will play with them, exploring them once or twice, but the movie is the real treat. The mock interviews with the characters are intriguing, and worth watching. The re-voice studio is a hoot, and you'll dig showing it off to your friends, but it loses its novelty soon enough. Because it is a DVD, your kids can watch it into eternity without worry of it wearing out.Lithgow is very Lithgow, much the same personality as he was on "Third Rock from the Sun."Cameron Diaz's princess character looks remarkably like her.Eddie Murphy makes a great sidekick. I was skeptical that he might be too over-the-top, but found his voicings to hit the tone perfectly, with great comedic skill. In short, he's hilarious.The movie is packed wirth allusions to old great movies and cartoons, mostly Disney, and adults will smile everytime they discover a new line or sequence from a movie they grew up with. Watch for "The Princess Bride," "Robin Hood," "The Sound of Music" and a bevy of other homages.The ending surprised me, but I'll not spoil it for you.I fully recommend "Shrek."Anthony TrendlShrek has grossed over 260 million in the theaters (as of Aug. 14, 2001). That's within .05% of the top grossing animation of all times, Toy Story (@ 262 million). Shrek is a great 3D movie. The 3D computer animation is second, only to Final Fantasy. The story is more involving than what I expected. The voices were well cast and performed. The whole film awsome. I'm sure you're aware of that or you wouldn't be reading this now. It has both adult (clean adult) and kids humor. The writers plagerized just about everyone and it was hilarious. Okay, now for the DVD. This DVD is created as 2 parts. One disc is aimed for the kids and the format is "full Screen" (pan & scan) and includes 17 DVD-ROM games. The other disc is geared more for adults and is letterbox formatted. Both discs have 3 minutes of extended ending that was never scene in the theatrical release. There's 'Making Of' and 'Behind The Scenes'. It encludes 11 hours of extras. There are also running commentaries. This DVD will actually allow you to replace a charector's voice with you own with "Sherk's Revoice Studio" effects. There are 15 minutes of newly animated footage specifically for the DVD interactive menues.. . . . . Shall I go on? . . . There is a sticker on EVERY box saying it's a winner. Each box has eligebility to win a prize, from a Kia car to X-Box game consoles to Baskin Robins Ice cream. So, we have a fantastic movie, the most massive extras features ever on a DVD, and free give-aways. And yould be nuts not to take advantage of this offer.

Shrek is an absolute gem. The humor is clever, the characters are unforgettable, and the story flips fairy tale tropes in the best way. It’s just as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids, with jokes that still hold up years later. The animation, voice acting, and soundtrack all come together perfectly. A true classic that never gets old.

I can watch this movie over and over again.

Such a fun and hilarious family movie. Great for all ages!

This is a great purchase! A classic for when Dreamworks was beginning to get good!

A cult classic

We've watched this one dozens of times. There is lots of subtle humor, the animation is terrific, the plot is good, the voices are excellent. We put it on when we want something that doesn't demand any brain power, after a tough day.

Funny