Dreamworks Studios have put a new twist on all the old fairy tales and fables that we all grew up with, but I would like to begin my review by reminding you all that this is hardly a “child safe” movie. It received the Parental Guidance Suggested (PG) rating from the Motion Picture Association for the adult language, mild violence, and off-color jokes made throughout the film. However, this does not detract from the movie: In fact, it is used in such a way as to improve it a bit, and make it much more appealing to adults like myself.

This, in turn, pisses Shrek off royally, as he does not want a bunch of squatters on his land!

Shrek begins his journey, taking along a new friend that he recently rescued from the hands of the cruel henchmen serving the would-be King. This is “Donkey” as he is called – namely because he is a loud-mouthed, abrasive, and often annoying … talking ass. Yes, it’s quite the amusing scenario, and makes for a great sidekick in this superhero cum knight in armor of a fairy tale.

“Shrek” brought the big names into the studio for this performance: I dare say that each celebrity and their characters made perfect matches for each other in personality and character traits – it’s truly amazing to watch!

Mike Myers as Shrek. Mike – of Saturday Night Live and Austin Powers fame – has put on his Scottish accent for this film. He originally did an “over the top” sort of performance, one that would inevitably put the film in the same category as Austin Powers or even Wayne’s World. However, upon viewing the finished work Mike asked the creators for a chance to redo his parts. Why? Because, when he was a child, his grandmother read him the fairy tales that “Shrek” so comically spoofs and refers to – in a soft, pleasant Scottish accent.
It definitely worked out well for this movie, as it gave Shrek another little touch of realism, and helped to destroy the crappy Disney-esque “animated fairy tales have to be sappy and horrid” stereotype.

John Lithgow as Lord Farqhart. John is notorious for his role as Dr. Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun. Yes, he plays the snotty, self-righteous jerk that everybody hates, but cannot help but be a bit charmed by. The same applies here, except that Farqhart is a cruel and vindictive midget who must be lifted on and off of his horse by his wicked henchmen! The character is the perfect villain – well, so far as spoofs and comedy go, anyway. While the film doesn’t exactly focus specifically on the farce aspect of it all, it definitely plays a large part – sort of a nose thumbing in Disney’s general direction.
So yes, John Lithgow and Lord Farqhart are a perfect match: A very intense and passionate actor combined with a bad, bad little midget.

***Animation***

It is so realistic, in fact, that in some scenes Princess Fiona looked TOO much like the real life actor behind her voice. Dreamworks reprogrammed several of these scenes, mainly in order to give it a more uniform appearance (let’s face it: Having Fiona looking exactly like Diaz while Shrek looks nothing like Mike Myers will NOT make for a happy film so far as the nitpicking, perfectionist animation crews are concerned).

The audio quality is superb – Dolby digital surround for you home theatre buffs. Sound effects are crystal clear, characters’ voices are perfectly integrated into the film, and the soundtrack is NOT to be missed! It boasts a lot of older rock music, some of it which is a bit unrecognizable (is that The Eels or what???). However, you will clearly remember Smash Mouth’s contributions to the soundtrack – “All Star” and “I’m A Believer” are prominent in this film, and put in exactly the right places.

“Shrek” is rather short: It runs for 90 minutes, significantly shorter than most films shown in the cinemas and theatres today. If you’re looking for a video that will occupy your second grader long enough to give yourself a pedicure, avoid “Shrek.” It also did not work very well in cinemas because of its brevity: While it is an excellent film, and very entertaining, most people want to spend more than 90 minutes watching a movie that they have paid anywhere from 3 to 8 dollars each for.
However, “Shrek” stands just fine all by itself. You will not find yourself yearning for more of the story once the film is over, as it tells all from start to finish. In fact, purchase it on DVD so that you can enjoy HOURS of extra features – such as the “outtakes” that were put into the DVD extras section for a few laughs.

“Shrek” will charm, amuse, and satisfy the big kid (and techno geek) in all of us, so don’t hesitate to put it into the VCR or DVD player sometime soon.