Since the brilliant sequel has been released on this side of the Atlantic, I thought it only fitting to review the original before I go and see it.

Characters

Donkey- Perhaps one of Eddie Murphy's better roles in recent years, which sounds a bit sad really as you can only hear his voice, A talking Donkey is a rather unconventional and less glamorous side-kick and probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fairy tale creatures. I don't really understand why Donkey wants to be Shrek's friend so much. The fact that Shrek finds him so annoying though is what makes their partnership so hilarious, loveable and memorable.
As well as being annoying (well to Shrek any way) Donkey is a bit of a 'drama-queen' which I also found funny, for instance in one particular scene where Fiona sends him to fetch a blue flower with red thorns, just to get him out of the way to calm down, and he's standing in a whole patch of them and doesn't know it and he says "This would be so much easier if I wasn't colour blind". Then there was another bit afterwards when Fiona has convinced him he's ill and he over dramatises again "I can't feel my toes! ...I don't have any toes! ...I think I need a hug".
Perhaps one of the funniest moments though did not involve donkey but was directed at him. When they first rescued Fiona she was amazed that Donkey could talk and Shrek says "Yeah, it's getting it to shut up that's the trick".

Farquaad- He's the bad guy, and quite delusional too as he is on a quest for perfection, which leads him to launching a amnesty on fairy tale creatures. His quest for perfection is made into a joke really because he is very short which seems to be the basis for every joke made about him.
He doesn't want to marry Fiona because he loves her, but because he wants to be King. How much more could this be shown than by him sending Shrek, an ogre to rescue her rather than risk his own life.
Farquaad's size makes me think maybe he was a dwarf and decided to turn on his fairy tale brethren- maybe Dopey finally had enough of the Seven Dwarves and Snow White. Farquaad's actions in this film actually caused most of the events of the second film. Although I won't go into that as some of you reading will want to see the first before you start thinking about the second.
Probably my most memorable moment of Farquaad is the torturing of the Gingerbread Man. His entrance is funny, he's walking and you think there's nothing wrong with him, then as he gets closer to the guards you realise just how short he is.

Special effects/Graphics
The film is a digitally animated film so without the special effects there really wouldn’t be a film.
It was of course created by effects specialists Dreamworks. I would think any one who is interested in this type of film would be astounded the first time they saw it by the effort that must have gone into making it-
It’s a far cry from the artwork of William Steig’s original book, but characters like Shrek for instance has retained most of his trademark features, his green-ness, the shape of his head and of course his small funnel like ears. Rather than make him all one shade of green though, they have given his skin different tones, texture and imperfections. When you look at Donkey closely you can make out the individual hairs. The human characters look very realistic but are contrasted by the fantasy world and creatures around them e.g. Donkey may look very realistic but he his face and his actions are all pretty humanised, added to the fact that he can talk, which brings me to my next point, movement. Now I think I remember from a preview of the second film that they took bits of the moment of the actors as they were performing the voices, so a bit of the actors has also gone into the characters on screen as well as their voices, hence humanization.
I think they have done well to make the characters look like what I’d expect them to look if they were real.
To some up what makes the film so great visually is the imperfections, which sounds wrong really doesn’t it.
As you may know, I recently reviewed another film which was digitally animated, Finding Nemo, which was made by Dreamworks’ rivals PIXAR. It is hard to say which is the better film, but for a more adult themed comedy I would have to lean towards Shrek. I think Shrek tries to make a fantasy world more into a reality where as Finding Nemo tries to make a realistic world into a fantasy. It’s good to see strong competition can mean such good films are produced.
If you are impressed by this, just think Shrek 2 is even better, well as much better as you can get in a few years.

· All Star: I remember this song from Rat Race as well. This is at the beginning of the film, and it is probably my favourite from the film.
· Bad Reputation: When Shrek has to fight Farquaad’s knights and he kind of gets in a wrestling ring.
· Hallelujah: When everything in the film hits the fan, Shrek thinks Fiona hates him and he has an argument with Donkey. It’s practically the opposite of ‘I'm On My Way’.
· I'm On My Way: I thought Shrek/Myers actually sung this song but no I’m not so sure. It’s appropriate for travelling music as its sung when Shrek on Donkey are ‘on their way’ to rescue Fiona.
· I'm A Believer: Donkey/Murphy sings this at the end. I’m not going to go into it because it would probably reveal the ending.
· True Love's First Kiss: This is the song that Fiona sings (and makes the bird explode). I think it’s kind of the film’s theme tune and features quite a bit.
· My Beloved Monster
· It Is You
· You Belong to Me

Pictures of Shrek (Animated) (DVD)

Various film posters and DVD cover

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All of these songs were also available on a separate audio CD, but it would probably be hard to find now, unless it’s in a bargain bin some where or on E-bay.
Besides these songs during the film, if you have the DVD or video, you may well have watched Shrek karaoke at the end where most of the characters all sing parts of songs.
I was thinking the reason that they might have put so many songs in was to fill in spaces as it was cheaper than paying fro the actors to do the voice parts.

All of which can be found on the Dreamworks website.

My favourite moments;

· Robin Hood or Monsieur Hood- When Robin Hood swings by and whisks Fiona it was very funny. He is obviously putting on a French accent, and stupidly thinks he’s saving Fiona and subsequently tries it on with her. She’s having none of it though. After a short musical number she dispatches Robin Hood, his Merry Men and even Friar Tuck in Matrix fashion.