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Theatrical Release	Genre	Rating	Worldwide Gross	Director	DVD Release
May 18, 2001	Animated	PG	$484.4 Million	Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson	Nov. 2, 2001

Shrek Review
by Joe Tracy, Publisher of Hollywood Lot Magazine

Once upon a time in a land far, far, away, there lived a group on animators and their bosses who thought that creating an irreverent animated movie, poking fun at fairy tale creatures, was a good idea.

They were right.

From the beginning you realize that Shrek isn't your typical animated feature. It never takes itself too serious, while creating situations (ala Pixar) that can be appreciated by both kids and adults alike.

Shrek is a green ogre who takes pride in his disgusting habits (bathing and farting in mud ponds, making candles out of his own ear wax, etc). Shrek leads a peaceful life until a bunch of fairy tale creatures (three blind mice, the three "sleeping beauty" fairies, Pinocchio, three little pigs, etc.) show up on his doorstep. They have been evicted from the Kingdom by the evil Lord Farquaad (big on attitude, small in stature). Shrek's peaceful lifestyle is turned upside down by the unwanted invasion, so he seeks out Lord Farquaad to give him a peace of his mind. Lord Farquaad tells Shrek he'll give Shrek the deed to the Swamp land if Shrek does one favor... save the Princess Fiona and bring her back to him so that he may marry her. Shrek agrees and accompanied by a talking donkey, named Donkey, the adventure begins...

Shrek, the movie, wastes no time in making huge impressions. The opening animated sequence alone is the best (to date) of any animated movie. The animation (courtesy of PDI/DreamWorks) is incredible and the humor downright "laugh out loud" funny. Who knew that so much pleasure could be gained at the expense of fairy tale creatures?

When viewing Shrek on the big screen, the first thing you'll notice is the absolute incredible detail in the drawings, backgrounds, and movement (even the fluid movement of things like grass). The look of Shrek contains a "wow-factor" that is a major compliment to the advancements in animation and dedication of the crew. In an era where the look TV animation series are going downhill quick, the movie Shrek shows the polar opposite - what can be accomplished when you try to make the animation, artwork, and drawings as good as your story, thus creating a "perfect package" for both kids and adults.

The media has really been hyping the controversy over the apparent pleasure DreamWorks took in poking fun at Disney characters/stories.

The voice acting in Shrek is top notch. The three main characters in the movie are Shrek (Mike Myers), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). This trio does a great job at bringing the writing audibly to life. Interestingly enough, Mike Myers wasn't originally cast in the role of Shrek. Visit our FAQ to find out who was and what happened.

Shrek shines in its ability to tell an interesting story of a self-absorbed Ogre and his journey to rescue a princess for someone else, so that he can return to his peaceful life. But on this humorous and irreverent journey (ever see someone try to put out a campfire by peeing on it?), Shrek learns to care about others. The movie's onion analogy (peeling back the many layers of a person in order to peer deep into their inward beauty) provides a surprisingly good message in this "fractured fairy tale" gone mad.

So is there anything wrong with Shrek? Not really, except that some people may take their children to it expecting a "Disneyfied" animated story and be taken aback by the crude humor and language. If you're careful about the movies you allow your kids to see, I'd recommend you take in a viewing of Shrek first, then decide (you won't mind seeing it a second time).

PDI/DreamWorks has definitely outdid themselves with this movie and there's no doubt that the hard work will equate to a lot of money at the box office. And when that happens... can you say sequel?