Shrek (2001)

★★½
Shrek (2001) rode a wave of success following the rise of Pixar and the production of C.G.I movies outside of the Pixar umbrella like Antz. For its time, it was groundbreaking, and it still is. The character design is amazing. The vivid, detailed imagery is outstanding and holds up today. Like Antz, it featured adult humor, and its soundtrack contained modern pop hits that stand in contrast to its medieval setting. A Knight's Tale would do the same several years later. The voice actors embody their characters just as well as the actors do in Pixar's output. I loved the movie when it came out, so imagine my surprise when, after watching it again years later, my reaction wasn't so enthusiastic. The technical details are still spectacular, and it's easy to get swept away by them, but the characters—Shrek himself and Donkey in particular—have not retained their appeal.

Shrek (Mike Myers) is an ogre who lives alone in the woods. He doesn't like company, so his patience is tested when Donkey (Eddie Murphy) shows up on his property. We've already learned that the local ruler Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) is rounding up all fairy tale creatures, which includes a wide assortment of characters from Disney's studio (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) and characters from children's stories/songs like the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Blind Mice. Donkey escapes the Lord's guards and hides out on Shrek's land, but soon the other fairy tale characters join him, having been dumped there by Lord Farquaad's guards. Enraged, Shrek, with Donkey in tow, travels to Farquaad's castle to express his discontent.

Lord Farquaad, a man of short (really short) stature, desires to marry a princess in order to become King Farquaad. He holds a tournament to crown a champion, who will then journey to a faraway castle to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon. Shrek shows up to spoil the fun, but Lord Farquaad disregards the ogre's green and portly appearance and makes an offer. If Shrek can rescue Fiona, then he will grant Shrek the deed to his land and remove the fairy tale characters. Shrek agrees, again with Donkey in tow.

Shrek shows up at the dragon's castle and rescues Fiona, who was locked away in the highest room in the highest tower. Their journey back is eventful. Fiona was under the impression that her rescuer would be the brave knight that she would marry, but instead Shrek's mission is to rescue her so that she can get married to someone else. They are a mismatched pair, though they begin to warm up to each other as they get closer to home. However, she has a secret, which she reveals to Donkey. In the old reliable cliché of one character accidentally eavesdropping on another character and leaving before the conversation ends, Shrek gets part of the story and feels betrayed. Now he's content to pass Fiona on to Lord Farquaad and get his land back.

Mike Myers, using a variation of his Fat Bastard accent from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, brings Shrek to life and creates a totally original character. When the movie isn't forcing him to behave a certain way (more on that in a moment), he's a lot of fun. Donkey is a different matter. While Shrek is more laid back, his new companion is hyperactive. It's a pairing that unfortunately falls victim to the tendency for these kinds of movies to revel in their own concept. Like Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco and Garfield: The Movie, Shrek's lets its characters ramble on too much. Donkey is especially talkative, which eventually becomes tiresome. If utilized correctly, Eddie Murphy's talent for reciting rapid dialogue can be very entertaining (Bowfinger), but here it's as if the writers stacked Donkey with lines for the singular purpose of showcasing Murphy's abilities. Imagine a Marx Brothers movie in which Harpo played the harp ten times instead of once.

Since Donkey runs his mouth so much, he inevitably causes conflict with Shrek. They bicker so much that it's a wonder they become friends at the end, since Shrek rarely shows any kindness to him. The writers forced them together because they believe their incompatibly can be mined for humor, and it occasionally works (I laughed when Shrek used a tree to help Fiona cross a river and steps off, resulting in Donkey getting catapulted in the opposite direction), but resorting and prolonging this tactic will statistically fail, and when it does it disrupts whatever chemistry briefly develops between them. Fiona and Farquaad, on the other hand, are the better characters. She retains her fairy tale roots and has expectations in line with her type, but she has a few surprises. She grows as a character. Farquaad is the villain, and his personality stays the same, but there's no reason why it wouldn't. Instead, he's a funny character due to his mannerisms and John Lithgow's voicework. He brings a boisterous confidence to Farquaad.

Shrek works, for the most part. It's silly, humorous and a giant helping of eye candy. There are lots of amusing sight gags (I liked Lord Farquaad's method for riding a horse). The story is engaging. The biggest misstep, though, is the movie's overreliance on Shrek and Donkey arguing. That wasn't apparent to me in 2001 during the original theatrical run, but it has risen to the surface since. Maybe the abundance of C.G.I. movies has made us accustomed to their visual splendor, to the point that their weaknesses can no longer remain hidden. Shrek lost its new car smell. Is it worth watching for the first time? Of course! Just don't let three sequels and a multimillion-dollar franchise cloud the obvious.

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