Shrek

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Romance

Mike Myers	Shrek/Blind Mouse/Narrator
Eddie Murphy	Donkey
Cameron Diaz	Princess Fiona
John Lithgow	Lord Farquaad of Duloc
Vincent Cassel	Monsieur Hood
Chris Miller	Geppetto/Magic Mirror
Cody Cameron	Pinocchio / Three Pigs
Peter Dennis	Ogre Hunter
Michael Galasso	Peter Pan
Guillaume Aretos	Merry Man
Clive Pearse	Ogre Hunter (voice)
Jim Cummings	Captain of Guards (voice)
Bobby Block	Baby Bear (voice)

Director	Andrew Adamson; Vicky Jenson
Producer	Jeffrey Katzenberg; Aron Warner; John H. Williams; Ted Elliott; Terry Rossio; Penney Finkelman Cox
Writer	Ted Elliott; Terry Rossio; William Steig
Musician	Harry Gregson-Williams; John Powell; Willie Nelson; Greg Camp; James McKee Smith; Neil Diamond; Leonard Cohen; Mark Everett; Kirby Tepper; Joan Jett
User Credit 1	Sim Evan-Jones
User Credit 2	Isis Mussenden

In order to preserve his space and solitude in the forest, an ogre, Shrek, makes a bargain with a short-statured Lord to bring back the cursed Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a fire breathing dragon. Shrek, voiced by Michael Myers, pairs with Donkey, a chatterbox voiced by Eddie Murphy for his epic journey. To everyone's suprise, Shrek and Fiona begin to fall for each other but their love seems ill fated since Shrek's mission is to return the Princess so she can marry Lord Farquad. The tension mounts as Fiona frets that her curse will be revealed before it can be broken by true love's first kiss. Shrek sulks away, broken hearted, as the wedding is about to begin, but with the help of donkey, he changes his mind and interrupts the wedding to declare his love for Fiona. When they kiss, everyone is suprised as Fiona changes into her fated true form. When the curse's magic is undone, her new beautiful ogre body is a shock to everyone. The truth leaves Shrek and Fiona very happy and they travel off to start their life together.

William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale is the right stuff for this computer-animated adaptation full of verve and wit. Our title character (voiced by Mike Myers) is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicts local fairy-tale creatures (including the now-famous Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and the Gingerbread Man), they settle in the ogre's swamp and Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek and his new pal, a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), where battles have to be won and a princess (Cameron Diaz) must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare, but it's the humor that makes Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humor is fun enough for 10-year-olds but will never embarrass their parents. Shrek is never as warm and inspired as the Toy Story films, but the realistic computer animation and a rollicking soundtrack keep the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its crosstown rival, Disney. --Doug Thomas