THE STARS

The DreamWorks team has of course a few original characters of its own. The 4 leads are all new, finely crafted and amazingly funny. But most of the real treat lies beneath their faces and into the voices of its lead stars, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy. Myers clad in an Irish tone developed his character very well; who’d have thought that is was Austin Powers in disguise neither would you realize that it was Cameron Diaz on the other end of the love triangle (yes triangle). However it was Eddie Murphy who I believed shown the brightest, his portrayal of “Donkey” was a much better performance than his Mushu in Mulan. He’s funnier as a cartoon!


THE FUNNIEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR

If you try to be critical, the plot may seem old. After all it is really another “Beauty and the Beast”; a story that proves that love can go beyond that which lies on the outside, and that what people really need is far from what physical restrictions can provide. It is also the old tale of the Sleazy Grouch who discovers a friendship and finds someone who teaches him how to love.

In spite of this, it is a genuine tale of romance, fun and adventure not to mention the coolest animation techniques that took 3 years to make. Best of all it’s a treasure box full of punch lines sure to keep you laughing your way out of the cinema or off your couches if you watch it on video!


THE BOTTOM LINE

We can grow up…we can outgrow our toys and our clothes, but one thing we cannot outgrow is our love for these kind of stories. It’s a quality that exists, yet sometimes fades into the background buried under all of life’s haze.
The movie Shrek made me realize that it wasn’t my age that made the most recent animated flicks seem bare…but that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to talk about how for 2 hours this new movie let loose the little boy in me.

SHREK on DVD/VHS
Coming Nov.2