Subject: Review: Shrek (2001)

From: Rose 'Bams' Cooper <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 18:22:35 -0000

'3BlackChicks Review...'

SHREK (2001)
Rated PG; running time 89 minutes
Studio: Dreamworks
Genre: Animated
Official site: http://www.shrek.com/
IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0126029
Written by: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Roger S.H. Schulman, Joe Stillman
   (based on the book by Wiliam Steig)
Music by: Neil Diamond, Harry Gregson-Williams, Joan Jett, John Powell,
James McKee Smith
Directed by:  Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jensen
Cast: Voices of: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
DVD standard features : widescreen and "Pan And Scan"; theatrical
    trailers; scene access. Languages & Subtitles: English, French,
    Spanish
DVD special features: Dolby Digital 5.1, 5.1 Surround, 2.0 Dolby
    Surround sound; behind-the-scenes featurettes; "Shrek's Revoice
    Studio"; interactive and DVD-ROM activities; storyboards; production,
    cast, and technical notes and commentary

Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2002
Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/bamsshrek.html

Back when Disney/Pixar released A BUG'S LIFE right around the same time
rival mainstream animators Dreamworks came out with their similar buggy
tale, ANTZ, I thought it was no contest: the Disney juggernaut and
graphics whiz kids at Pixar, ruled the roost.  Subsequent Disney/Pixar
releases of TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, and MONSTERS, INC. only served to
underscore that team's powerhouse status.   But now, with SHREK having
triumphed artistically, excelled at the box office, and now getting
"Oscar" buzz, Dreamworks may end up having the last laugh after all.

THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**)
Once upon a time, a big, misunderstood ["I'm not bad...I'm just drawn
that way!"] ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers) was chillin' by himself in his
swamp, minding his own beeswax...when along came a bunch of fairy tale
creatures, invading his personal space, disturbing his wa!  "What's up
with *that*?", bellowed the ogre, and off he went to see what was the
matter.

Along the way, he hooked up with a little ass, Donkey (Eddie Murphy).
Long of mouth, short of silence, Donkey was the first to accept Shrek
for his True Self; but still, Shrek thought Donkey was a pain in
the...well, you know.  Shrek and Donkey set out to find the source of
the disturbance: Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow), a legend in his own mind.
After a rousing bout of world wide rasslin', Lord Farquaad tasks Shrek
to go rescue a damsel in distress: Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), a
faire maiden with a secret of her own.

Will Shrek find contentment in his swamp again?  Will Farquaad grow a
couple inches?  Will Fiona kick a little ass of her own?  Will Donkey
Get Some from Dragon?  Hey, turn the page...

THE UPSHOT
Good thing I didn't place any bets on whether SHREK would've succeeded
as it has; I would've lost.  And despite some rumblings from SHREK
detractors, I say it is deserving of its success.  Granted, I didn't
come away from this cartoon with nearly the Warm Fuzzies that I got from
each of the previous Pixar flicks that I've seen (and, except for
"Monsters", own on DVD).  Then again, SHREK isn't drawn to be that way;
its jabs at Disney's way of telling classic fairy tales - not to mention
its poke at Disneyland itself - are evidence of the snarky sarcasm and
mature humor that have drawn adults as well as children to this
beautifully-animated film.

And talk about beautiful animation!  The CGI in SHREK is nothing less
than astounding; the attention to detail, amazing.  Computer animators
push the technical envelope further and further each year, and the
people behind SHREK have taken advantage of the leaps on technology
since ANTZ was released in 1998.

The story itself - ogre meets girl; ogre fails to completely Appreciate
girl; girl becomes Empowered and Finds Her True Self - is nothing new to
the land of fairy tales; but the way the tale is told in SHREK is funky
fresh.  The riffs on classic Disney-fied characters like Pinocchio (not
Geppetto's favorite boy after all, eh?), Snow White (complete with
exploding Bluebird Of Happiness), and especially The Gingerbread Man
("eat me!") are just part of what makes this movie so noteworthy.  I
just wish there were more such riffs; and if rumors of a SHREK 2 being
in the works are true, hopefully I'll get my wish.

The voice talent here was surprisingly strong.  I'm not a fan of
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alumni, but Mike Myers tore it up as Shrek, the
misunderstood ogre.  I don't know why Myers chose a brogue accent, but
the dialect worked well for his character.  Cameron Diaz as Fiona was
fine; heck, I was just happy that she wasn't cloying here.  John Lithgow
made his shortstuff Lord Farquaar epic in his smallness.  And Eddie
Murphy, as Donkey, was not nearly as over-the-top as I had feared he
would take his character.  Murphy was somewhat subtle, where a Chris
Tucker or a Martin Lawrence, in the same role, probably would've worked
my last nerve.  Proving, once again, that you don't have to be an ass,
to be an Ass.

DVD THINGIES
The SHREK DVD, with its *eleven* hours of extras, is a Thingies lover's
dream.  All of the extras in this two-disc set are too numerous to
mention in detail, so I'll just highlight a few here.

Disc one features Windoze-only DVD-ROM extras such as the "Revoice
Studio" and "DreamWorks Kids", both interactive modules aimed at the
younger set; it also has "interviews" with the characters (not the
actors), which put me in mind of Pixar's use of "outtakes".  Disc two
includes storyboard pitches of deleted scenes, real outtakes of
technical goofs (including a warm and fuzzy donkey!), and my second
favorite extra, "The Tech of Shrek", which details the production of the
film.  My favorite?  "Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party".  Trust
me: it's a must-see.

BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE
Owning the SHREK DVD has more than made up for the fact that I missed
the movie during its first run.  And all the extras are almost worth me
trading in my Mac for a DVD-equipped PC.  Uh...almost.

SHREK (rating: greenlight):
In 2001, I grooved on MONSTERS, INC., no doubt; but SHREK was most
enjoyable in its snarkasm, and with it, Dreamworks finally provides
Pixar Studios with some real competition - especially for its DVD
Thingies.

Rose "Bams" Cooper
Webchick and Editor,
3BlackChicks Review
Entertainment Reviews With Flava!
Copyright Rose Cooper, 2002
EMAIL: [email-masked]
http://www.3blackchicks.com/

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