On the surface, DreamWorks' latest masterpiece may appear to be the typical fairy-tale epic. After all, the animated film comes complete with a princess trapped in a castle guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, an ogre, a quest to rescue the aforesaid princess and a brewing romance.
But this time around, the princess knows kung-fu, the dragon is pink, female and regularly bats her eyelashes, and the ogre is the hero. Welcome to the world of "Shrek."
Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers in an on-and-off Scottish brogue cultivated by his "SNL" days) is the grouchy green ogre who lives by himself in a decrepit swamp on the edge of the perfect state of Dulop.
Dulop's ruler, the stature-challenged Lord Farquaad (voiced by "Third Rock's" John Lithgow) is on a mission to rid his kingdom of all rabble-scrabble, aka the fairy-tale creature population. He goes to great lengths to accomplish this, from offering a bounty to torturing a gingerbread man for information ("No! Not my gumdrop buttons!"). Farquaad then evicts the fairy-tale folk to the furthest corner of his kingdom: Shrek's swamp.
Furious at the new unwelcome inhabitants on his turf, the ogre sets out for Farquaad's domain to reclaim his swamp. Accompanied by Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy), Shrek travels to Farquaad's castle, a large white looming structure. The astute Shrek ponders aloud whether or not Farquaad is compensating for a lack of something else with the massive size of the fortress' battlements.
Inside Farquaad's castle, which eerily resembles Disney's Magic Kingdom down to the manicured lawns with the character-named parking lots, Shrek battles with knights WWF style and unwittingly wins the right to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz) from her tower prison. If Shrek succeeds, he will obtain the deed to his swamp, fairy-tale creature-free.
With the help of Donkey, Shrek rescues Fiona from her imprisonment and escorts her to Farquaad's castle. Along the way, the threesome encounters numerous misfits, including a flirtatious Robin Hood and his merry men performing Riverdance-style shows. Fiona promptly defeats her suitor in a hilarious Matrix-like fight sequence. Fiona also sings a duet with a bird, only to trill such a high note that the unfortunate bird explodes and her eggs compose the group's breakfast.
Fiona's gutsy nature and unabashed habits - such as burping - duly impress the ogre. And Shrek's unusual charm does not go unnoticed on Fiona's part.
It becomes evident that the tale will end in typical happily-ever-after style, but how the two leads will achieve romantic harmony is only revealed in a brilliant final plot twist.
"Shrek" is laced with subtle references to Disney artifacts and popular culture in the scenery and lines. The clever quips and witty remarks keep audiences captivated, and the movie appeals to both children and adults.
Myers shines as the voice of Shrek, creating a complex character who is less than pleasant but also charming.
Previously criticized for its flat animation of people, DreamWorks has greatly improved in the art of computer animation, evidenced in Fiona's undeniable beauty.
And although Diaz obligingly voices the typical sarcastic and mushy-romantic tones as needed, she does not possess the voice dynamics that should set the leading female apart from every other girl in the movie.
"Shrek" might not make it into the ranks of classic film, but even for adults, it's worth the trip to Seminole.
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