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"'Shrek'
Lives Happily Ever After"
by Scott Mantz
"Shrek"
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson
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| Eddie Murphy,
Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow live happily ever
after in "Shrek" |
Once upon a
time, there was a magical place called Hollywood, where fairy
tales came to life and superficial people made millions of dollars
in the
process. Most of the time, these tales of make-believe weren't worth
the
celluloid that they were printed on, but every once in a while,
a movie would
come along that justified the rest of the stinkers. Such is the
case with
the computer animated "Shrek," and thanks to a funny,
clever, and smart
screenplay, the film easily fits the bill as the best animated movie
to hit
the big screen since "Toy Story."
A long time
ago in a swamp far, far away, there lived a mean old ogre named
Shrek (Mike Myers). All he wanted was to be left alone in his miserable
existence, but when the inhabitants of fairy tale's greatest hits
are
banished to his doorstep by the evil Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow),
he throws
a fit. In order to get his privacy back, Shrek makes a deal with
Farquaad to
rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from the clutches
of a
fire-breathing dragon. With the help of a wisecracking donkey (Eddie
Murphy), Shrek sets out on his mission, never knowing that his encounter
with
the Princess will change his life forever.
By seamlessly
blending elements of pop-culture with history's most popular
fairy tales, "Shrek" finds itself in the rare position
of being enormously
entertaining for both kids and adults. The movie has fun lampooning
everything from "Three Little Pigs" to "Babe,"
and even DreamWorks head
honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg, who co-produced the pic, takes some jabs
at his
former Disney boss by portraying Lord Farquaad's kingdom as a medieval
version of the Disneyland theme park (complete with a palace that's
more akin
to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Cape Canaveral).
As for bringing
these CGI characters to life, you couldn't have asked for a
better cast. Mike Myers seems to be relishing his mean-spirited
take on
Shrek, complete with his now-famous domineering Scottish accent
(after all,
if it isn't Scottish, it's crap!). Eddie Murphy is the perfect sidekick
and
steals the show as the ever-faithful donkey, even though his timely
comic
references are a throwback to his similar voiceover work from "Mulan."
Finally, Cameron Diaz gives a sexy, yet vulnerable turn to her role
as the
lovelorn princess with a secret, while John Lithgow is deliciously
evil as
the vertically-challenged Lord Farquaad.
In the end,
"Shrek" is fast, funny, and furious, and in many ways,
it's the
perfect modern fairy tale. Not only does it point out the importance
of
opening your heart, cherishing strong friendships, and finding the
beauty
from within, but it's also a fairy tale for the people who made
it. After
decades of having a grip on the animated market, the evil empire
of Disney is
finally given a run for its money by the underdogs over at DreamWorks.
As
long as they can continue to deliver strong films in the animated
field, then
DreamWorks, as well as moviegoers everywhere, will live happily
ever after.
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