Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Jim Cummings, Vincent Cassel, John Lithgow, Peter Dennis

Director: Andrew Adamson

Summary: Set in a strange, colourful land populated by fairy tale characters, SHREK is a hilarious comedy that will win over audiences of children and adults alike. Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is a fearsome green ogre living in isolation in his own cosy little swamp. He is not receptive to visitors, and fends off the occasional party of torch-wielding villagers with ease. But when the power-hungry Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) turns Shrek's swamp into a relocation camp for dozens of banished fairy-tale characters (including some pesky dwarves, wolves, and fairies) Shrek's quiet, introverted life is ruined. Joined by the talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek makes his way to Farquaad's realm of Duloc, where the Lord promises to make Shrek an offer: He will rid Shrek's land of the unwanted visitors if Shrek will go on a simple quest to free Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her remote, dragon-guarded castle and convince her to marry Farquaad. On their quest, Shrek and Donkey run into a number of bizarre situations, and Shrek finds himself realising that he isn't quite the fearsome monster he has always made himself out to be. Reinventing the traditional fairy tale adventure, SHREK features gorgeous computer animation, a unique sense of humour, and compelling characters--especially Murphy's lovable Donkey.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

Full of verve and wit Shrek is a computer-animated adaptation of William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale. 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 jokes that make Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humour is fun enough for the 10-year-old 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 keeps the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its cross-town rival, Disney. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com

On the DVD: DVD could have been invented to showcase Shrek's stunning computer animation--admirably served here by 16:9 anamorphic widescreen presentation--while the exuberant soundtrack comes alive in 5.1 Dolby Digital.

There are plenty of extras to choose from on this DVD, from The Tech of Shrek and fake Character Interviews to the amusing Swamp Karaoke Dance Party featuring the whole cast. However, none of these features have much depth, nor do they last long and it would be easy to feel slightly disappointed--were it not for the excellent Shrek's ReVoice Studio. This first-of-its-kind feature requires a computer running Microsoft Windows 98SE or higher, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, an Internet connection and a DVD-ROM drive. However, once the DVD-ROM is up and running, the instructions could not be clearer and within minutes the whole family will be dubbing their voices over favourite characters and scenes--rendering the other extras almost irrelevant.--Helen Baker

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Shreks Re Voice Studio, Interactive Games Character Morph Decorate The Gingerbread Man Trivia Game, Hilarious Character Interviews, Filmmakers Commentary, The Tech Of Shrek, International Dubbing Featurette, Shrek In The Swamp Karaoke Dance Party, Animated Men
Subtitles:	English, Portuguese, Spanish
Year:	2001
Release Date:	November 12, 2001
Runtime:	112 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	688 244 2
Keywords:	Animated, Family, General, Wide, Screen, Animation, Childrens, Shrek
Genre:	Family