Shrek (film series)
SHREK (U)
D: Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson
Dreamworks (Aron Warner, John H. Williams & Jeffrey
Katzenberg)
US 2001
89 mins
Animated
W: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman &
Roger S. H. Schulman [based on the book by William Steig]
Mus: Harry Gregson-Williams & John
Powell
voices of: Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie
Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), John Lithgow (Lord Farquaad), Vincent Cassel (Monsieur Robin Hood)
The first film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature,
when the category was given its inception in 2001, Shrek is a unique mishmash of fairytales in which a grotesque ogre is our hero and the princess he saves is far from a sleeping
beauty.
When his swamp is overrun with exiled magical characters,
Shrek the ogre, along with a talking donkey, agrees to save a princess from a dragon in order to reclaim his land from an evil lord.
As much for adults as it is for kids, Shrek was a breath
of life into the animation genre, utilising state of the art computer graphics as well as an intelligent screenplay and iconic vocal performances, especially Eddie Murphy, who perhaps
delivers his best ever work as the talking Donkey.
There further films followed, of varying
quality.
8/10
SHREK 2 (U)
D: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury &
Conrad Vernon
Dreamworks (Aron Warner, John H. Williams,
David Lipman & Jeffrey Katzenberg)
US 2004
93 mins
Animated
W: J. David Stern, Joe Stillman & David N.
Weiss [based on characters created by William Steig]
Mus: Harry Gregson-Williams
voices of: Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie
Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Antonio Banderas (Puss In Boots), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), John Cleese (King Harold), Jennifer Saunders (Fairy Godmother),
Rupert Everett (Prince Charming)
Shrek and Princess Fiona, now married, find
their relationship in peril when they visit her parents, manipulated by her (not-so) Fairy Godmother and the nefarious Prince Charming.
Though not quite as fresh as the original,
it's the vibrant vocal performances which bring the fairytale to life, while the introduction of Puss In Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) as a swashbuckling cat brings many of
the laughs.
6/10
SHREK THE THIRD (SHREK 3) (U)
D: Chris Miller
Dreamworks (Aron Warner)
US 2007
93 mins
Animated
W: Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman [based on
characters created by William Steig]
Mus: Harry Gregson-Williams
voices of: Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy
(Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Antonio Banderas (Puss In Boots), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), John Cleese (King Harold), Eric Idle (Merlin), Justin Timberlake (Arthur
Pendragon)
The weakest of the Shrek movies, with recycled jokes from
other films as Arthurian Legend is crammed into Shrek's universe. Young children may not notice that the plot is borrowed from Monty Python & The Holy Grail, but parents certainly
might.
Either way, the Shrek formula is getting pretty tired now,
even the animation not looking as polished as in previous films, giving off the impression that this is simply an easy cash-grab for the studio after two massive hits. The weakest by far of
all the Shrek movies.
5/10
SHREK FOREVER AFTER (SHREK
4) (U)
D: Mike Mitchell
Dreamworks (Gina Shay & Teresa
Chang)
US 2010
93 mins
Animated
W: Josh Klausner & Darren Lemke [based on the book
by William Steig]
Mus: Harry Gregson-Williams
voices of: Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy
(Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Antonio Banderas (Puss In Boots), Walt Dohrn (Rumpelstiltskin)
An improvement on the third film, but still a far cry
from the quality of the first two.
Shrek makes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin which sees him
lose his family, and, with the help of some old friends, attempts to win them back.
The market appeal is clearly more for kids than the
earlier films in the series. It's probably a good story to end the franchise on, although you'll never quite know if a fifth film were to materialise.
5/10
