Set in a strange, colorful land populated by fairy tale characters, SHREK is a hilarious comedy that will win over audiences of children and adults alike. Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is a fearsome green ogre living in isolation in his own cozy little swamp. He is not receptive to visitors, and fends off the occasional party of torch-wielding villagers with ease. But when the power-hungry Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) turns Shrek's swamp into a relocation camp for dozens of banished fairy-tale characters (including some pesky dwarves, wolves, and fairies) Shrek's quiet, introverted life is ruined. Joined by the talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek makes his way to Farquaad's realm of Duloc, where the Lord promises makes Shrek and offer: He will rid Shrek's land of the unwanted visitors if Shrek will go on a simple quest to free Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her remote, dragon-guarded castle and convince her to marry Farquaad. On their quest, Shrek and Donkey run into a number of bizarre situations, and Shrek finds himself realizing that he isn't quite the fearsome monster he has always made himself out to be. Reinventing the traditional fairy tale adventure, SHREK features gorgeous computer animation, a unique sense of humor, and compelling characters--especially Eddie Murphy's lovable Donkey.
Theatrical release: May 18, 2001
Review 1:
"...SHREK is a world-class charmer..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.119-20 06/07/2001
Review 2:
"...SHREK is a funny, sweet, snappy fairy tale about misfits....It's impossible to ogre-state the sheer fun of SHREK..."
Source: Premiere
p.88-9 06/01/2001
Review 3:
"...Riotous....The most thoroughly enjoyable cartoon feature since TOY STORY..."
Source: USA Today
p.1D 05/16/2001
Review 4:
"...Casual, carefree, consistently amusing....Smartly constructed to appeal to children and their parents..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.1 05/16/2001
Review 5:
"...The movie is an astonishing visual delight, with animation techniques that seem lifelike and fantastical, both at once..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.27 05/18/2001
Review 6:
"...The impudent jokes keep rolling along. Mike Myers provides a sly vocal impression....It's Eddie Murphy as the smart-ass donkey sidekick who steals the show..."
Source: Movieline's Hollywood Life
p.39 06/01/2001
Review 7:
"...SHREK is an instant animated classic....Playing equally effectively as a lively romp for kids and an enormously clever comedy for adults..."
Source: Variety
p.49-58 05/07/2001
Review 8:
"...SHREK is scrappy, brash comedy, and the brio of actors adds to the dynamism..."
Source: New York Times
p.E1 05/16/2001
Review 9:
"...Mike Myers is able to both humanize and soften the character....Cameron Diaz' unorthodox take on a post-feminist fairytale princess is likewise accomplished, endearing yet amusing..."
Source: Box Office
p.101 07/01/2001
Review 10:
"...SHREK is a film of marvels....It has a lovely vintage-illustration look, with a sylvan swamp and a wonderfully grotesque castle..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.54-5 07/01/2001