Shrek is an ogre living in the swamp. Judged and feared all his life, he lives out a quiet and miserable existence wanting to be left alone. One day, he meets Donkey and learns of the nearby noble's goal to rid his kingdom of fairy tale creatures, banishing them to Shrek's doorstep. Annoyed, he agrees to go on a quest to save a princess from a fearsome dragon in return for the deed to his swamp. Along the way, he'll have adventures and make discoveries he never dreamed of . . . and find the thing he was ultimately seeking.
This satirical take on the fairy tale genre was a huge hit upon its release in 2001. It has spawned three sequels, two spin-off movies, one holiday special, a musical, a surprising number of video games, and more. (The next installment, Shrek 5, is due out in 2026.) I watched this with my sons today, having surprisingly little memory of this classic though I had seen it before (it's been 20+ years . . . ). Anyway, it's a fun story, with predictable (yet amusing) nods to classic stories and holding true to the typical motifs while also turning them on their heads. I was surprised how dated the CG looked—I'm sure it was great in its day, and the main characters look alright, but the background/minor characters were 'stiff' and robotic. The message was pretty good, looking at the need for friends and forgiveness, and the importance of not judging too hastily. The humor was great in places, with some innuendo that only adults will detect (I think/hope). A solid effort overall.
Rating: A-
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