It has an enchanted princess in a tower, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.
It has a big, green ogre with a Yiddish name. It has a donkey that not only
talks, and not only sings, but sings the old Monkee's song, "I'm a
Believer." It has an evil (but short) bad guy, kickboxing, a Robin Hood and
Merry Men who perform an Irish Riverdance, potty humor, and some digs at
Disney. And it has sensational animation, adventure, romance, and laughter -
enough to make this one of the best movies of the year.
Shrek is a big, green ogre who lives happily alone in a swamp. But Lord
Farquaad of nearby Dulac has a plan for creating the perfect kingdom, and
that means getting rid of all of the fairy tale characters and sending them
to "a designated resettlement community." Soon, the three blind mice, the
three little pigs, the gingerbread man, all the broom-flying witches,
Pinocchio, and a talking donkey are all relocated to the swamp. Shrek is
furious at the intrusion. He makes a deal with Farquaad, who needs to marry
a princess to put the final touch on his kingdom. Shrek will rescue Princess
Fiona and bring her to Farquaad, and Farquaad will give Shrek his swamp
back.
The movie is a marvelous fairy tale, with a thrilling quest and a happily
ever after ending. It has the great themes of enduring myths, about
believing in yourself, being loved for the person you really are, and good
triumphing over evil. It is also a delicious satire, tweaking all of our
assumptions about ogres, princesses, rescues, and even fire-breathing
dragons. The voice talents of Michael Myers (as the Scottish-burred Shrek),
Eddie Murphy (as the talking donkey), Cameron Diaz (as Princess Fiona), and
John Lithgow (as Farquaad) are all perfect. The computer animation is
breathtaking, like nothing ever done before. The textures are stunning. The
glass, fire, clouds, and water seem three-dimensional, and you will feel
that the donkey's fur almost brushes your hand. The animation has wonderful
warmth and depth, but it also has a great deal of character and wit. The
facial expressions and body language are such a treat that the audience can'
t help thinking that if ogres and donkeys and don't really look like that,
they should.
Parents should know that this movie is rated PG, but it is right up at the
limit of PG-13, with edgy humor directed at teenagers and adults. It will be
over the heads of most younger children, but parents who bring their under-9
kids should be ready for some questions. Parents should also know that it
has some potty humor and some gross-out jokes. There are also some scary
scenes with characters in peril, and some fighting. A bird explodes and its
eggs are eaten, and a character loses a leg, but very few others get
seriously hurt.
Families who see this movie should talk about the donkey's statement that
Shrek has "that kind of 'I don't care what nobody thinks of me' thing." Is
it true that Shrek did not care what people thought of him? How can you
tell? What did it mean to say that ogres are like onions? What does it mean
to say that people have layers? Who in the movie is judged on his or her
looks? By themselves or by others? Why does Shrek yell at the donkey when he
is really angry about something else? Do you agree that "friends forgive
each other?" Can you look up into the stars and see stories?
Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy "Ladyhawke" and "The Princess
Bride." Families with younger children will enjoy some of the books by
William Steig, who wrote this story. My favorites include Sylvester and the
Magic Pebble and Brave Irene.
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