I’m kicking off 2023 by trying to watch and review one movie every day for the first 90 days, all of which will be 90 minutes or less.
Title: Shrek
Release Date: May 18, 2001
Director:Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson
Production Company: DreamWorks Animation | PDI/DreamWorks
Summary/Review:
Shrek was probably not the first animated movie to mix crude humor with pop culture references and a soundtrack of contemporary pop hits, but it did establish a trend, with many movies that followed not being as funny or clever as Shrek. It also established DreamWorks Animation as a legitimate competitor to Disney and Pixar.
Based on a book by Massachusetts own William Steig, it tells the story of a curmudgeonly ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) who finds his swamp overrun by fairy tale characters exiled there by the autocratic Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Accompanied by the chatty Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek heads off to confront Farquaad and then is sent on a further quest to rescue the Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), who is imprisoned by a dragon. Naturally, Shrek and Fiona form feelings for one another.
Listen, there’s nothing deep about Shrek, but it efficiently delivers a lot of good gags while poking fun at fairy tale lore and at Disney movies and parks. Yet, it never gets too nasty and still manages to have a heart.
Rating: ***1/2
Panorama of the Mountains 