Movie Title: Shrek
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Writer: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Roger S. H. Schulman
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel, Conrad Vernon, Chris Miller, Cody Cameron, Simon J. Smith, Christopher Knights, Aron Warner, Jim Cummings
Review: Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers) whose precious solitude is suddenly shattered by an invasion of annoying fairy tale characters. They were all banished from their kingdom by the evil Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Determined to save their home -- not to mention his -- Shrek cuts a deal with Farquaad and sets out to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to be Farquaad's bride. Shrek and his sidekick, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) come to find that rescuing the Princess may be small compared to her deep, dark secret.
Shrek is a fantastic film for people of all ages. I get just as much enjoyment of this movie now, as I did when I was 11. It's a charming, heartwarming, and clever tale that teaches the meaning of inner beauty, acceptance, and friendship. The writing is clever as there are nods to famous fairytales throughout. This film is also quite funny, especially with regards to the banter between Shrek and Donkey. The "Monsieur" Robin Hood scene is fantastic as well. Shrek is a standout hit. There's an original plot, it's fun for all ages, not to mention some skillful animation that brings each scene to life. If you haven't seen this film, I highly recommend it for the whole family!
"You might have seen a housefly, maybe even a super fly, but I bet you ain't never seen a donkey fly."
Fun Fact: Chris Farley was originally cast as Shrek and even recorded almost all of the dialogue. However, after his death, the role was given to fellow Saturday Night Live (1975) performer, Mike Myers. Shrek's "air quotes" in the film is an homage to Farley, whose character Bennett Brauer also used air quotes. A story reel featuring a sample of Farley's recorded dialogue was leaked to the public in August 2015. Click here to listen to some of Farley's recorded dialogue.