Review: Shrek

Directed by: Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson

Written by: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Roger S. H. Schulman

Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel, Conrad Vernon

Rating: [4.5/5]

If you read enough fairytales you can pick up on the pattern of the princes and princesses who receive the happily ever afters and then everyone else. A form of predestination Shrek seeks to completely upend through its brash referential humor and as a result remains one of the most hilarious and quotable films of all time. 

Content living out his days in his swamp, Shrek (Mike Myers) has his life interrupted when all of the fairy tale creatures get relocated to his land. Angry at this inconvenience he heads out to get answers and a solution from the ruler making all of these decisions, Lord Farquad (John Lithgow). 

Of all films I have ever seen no other stands out as the one I could sit around and quote all day as much as this feature. Sure, part of that happens as a result of the dozens of times I’ve seen it but also the comedic approach it takes to all of the characters. Pulling from nearly every imaginable fairy tale character they could legally get their hands on, this feature plays with their combined existence to all make this ogre incredibly mad, which allowed Mike Myers the opportunity to go absolutely ballistic with his delivery and he definitely had some fun here. 

Centering a fairytale about love on an ogre sure provided a different approach than what has been done in the past and the story remains very self-aware of it. Opening with a sequence where the titular character engages in activities he enjoys but a human would find absolutely grotesque highlights we’re dealing with a different type of protagonist. Someone very comfortable in what he likes, enjoys his isolation, and most importantly does not want anyone trespassing or disturbing him. Unfortunately for him, he gets pulled into this entire adventure leading up to an altercation with a dragon. To think the man just wanted to enjoy his dinner. This tough exterior gets prodded on multiple occasions throughout the film unraveling a personality much softer than you would initially expect and much of it gets accomplished by a talking donkey. 

When thinking of the most iconic voice performances in the history of animated film, the one that jumps out at me will always be Eddie Murphy and what he does with Donkey. A real chatterbox unafraid to speak his mind, he and Shrek represent unwanted creatures, which binds them together whether or not the ogre wants it. Their entire initial interaction really lays out their dynamic in a comedic but also endearing way because of how Donkey sees Shrek as more than just this big scary beast demanding fear. It signals the beginning of a reluctantly beautiful friendship and some lines uttered by Murphy as the donkey constantly ring through my ear on a daily basis; they are that good. I mean, who could have delivered the waffle line with more gumption than Murphy?

Serving as the villain we have Lord Farquad, who seeks validation into ascending into a king by marrying a princess, which sets his eyes towards Fiona (Cameron Diaz) even if he remains unaware of her particular circumstance. Well other than the fact her champion must rescue her from a castle guarded by a dragon. Farquad proves to be such a riot throughout the entire film as he has a smaller stature and definitely seeks to compensate for it in other ways as alluded to by Shrek. The more you think about his kingdom and what he seeks to purge from it, you can certainly draw some allegories breaking down what type of other leaders he resembles. Especially considering all of these citizens look the same. Nearly everything Farquad says in his earliest scenes gets at the ridiculousness of his position as a threat and John Lithgow delivers a strong comedic performance as he steps into the role. 

With the main players set and this journey begins this feature becomes an inundation of famous fairy tale creatures who nuzzle their way into the story. Some certainly have more of an impact than others. Who could forget the musical number by Robin Hood and his Merry Men? Scenes like that one display the overall irreverence this film has for the integration of these characters. It introduces them while also poking fun at them in a humorous way. For example, with Robin Hood, they make the joke that, yes, he steals from the rich and gives to the poor but that does not preclude him from enjoying some of his own pleasures. It adds a bit more texture and intrigue to them and demonstrates this iteration is not the clean-cut version we receive in their own stories. 

On top of the comedy on display, Shrek and all of the subsequent films do an excellent job of integrating popular songs into the story but also elevating others when introduced in the movie. Smash Mouth must credit this film with the majority of their success as “Rockstar” became a song everyone and their mother recognized and could even sing. On top of the lovely score this film employs, everything musically done works here. 

With all of the irreverent comedy and jabs thrown at classic fairy tale stories, Shrek remains one in itself. One that pairs an unlikely romantic couple together and ends on such a heartwarming message about who or what should be considered beautiful. This film presents the whole package and while some may claim the inundation of popular culture references will eventually go wrong when those nods don’t regularly lie in the mainstream, this feature has more than enough to sustain it with the timeless characters injected into the story. Definitely one of the most influential and iconic animated films of the 21st century and one I will continue to quote forever.