Fractured Fairy Tales
Shrek Leaves No Story Unscathed
There are few things more cherished than childhood memories of storybook fantasies where dwarfs, fairies, and enchanted mirrors fill the world. Then there's Shrek's world, where all of these magical creatures are merely an annoyance to the solitary swamp-dwelling ogre.
Written by: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Joe Stillman and Roger S.H. Schulman, based on the book by William Steig
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow
Rated
(for
mild language and some crude humor)Running time: 90 min.
FilmGuru's Rating : 9 out of 10.
In one of the funniest send-ups of fairy tales ever presented, Shrek dives in with a sense of humor and sophistication that is befitting the state-of-the-art computer generated animation. The film is tame enough for children while remaining incredibly funny for adults. And, for an unexpected twist, it even has a nice moral to it.
Mike Myers lends his voice as the big green hero, Shrek. The ogre, who enjoys taking mud showers and picking wax out of his ears, likes his quiet swamp and doesn't appreciate visitors. So when he suddenly finds himself overrun by every fairy tale creature in the forest, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Assisting Shrek is a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy) who has forced himself on the unwilling ogre. The two venture off in search of Lord Farquaad, the man responsible for banishing all the fairy tale creatures from the land of Duloc.
Farquaad (John Lithgow) is determined to become a king by finding himself a princess to marry. His choice for a bride is Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), who appears to be your typical damsel in distress, locked in a tower guarded by your typical dragon. Of course, nothing in Shrek is typical.
The charm of Shrek exists on several levels. For children, there's a humorous little story of magical creatures. But it is clear that Shrek is not a children's movie, animated or not. Quite simply, it's a scathing satire of fairy tales (animated and otherwise). Early scuttlebutt said that it was aimed at the folks at Disney, but that's not true. The scope of Shrek's humor rises above mean-spirited scorn. While it does make some wonderful jabs at the Magic Kingdom, it does so with a wink and not a stab in the back.
Only adults familiar with the complete pantheon of fairy tales and storybook characters are likely to get every joke in Shrek, but there are so many jokes (from crude jokes regarding ogre hygiene to great, but subtle, sight gags) that audiences will be laughing uncontrollably.
All silliness aside, Shrek is a fantastic looking film utilizing cutting edge graphics. The animation is inspired. The beauty of seeing these unreal creatures rendered in three dimensions is second only to the fabulous and artistic direction of the film that makes it a wonder to behold.
In addition, the film boasts a killer soundtrack with songs by Smashmouth and The Proclaimers. It also includes a fantastic rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" sung by Rufus Wainwright.
Shrek may not be the first blockbuster released this summer, but it's the first movie that exceeded my expectations. This is a movie I'll want to see again and again.
Copyright ©2002-present by Kevin Wohler. All rights reserved.
All movie titles, images, and sounds are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders.
Site design by Wohler Web Works.
Web hosting provided by:
