SHREK

SHREK

Saturday, July 3rd 2004 at Old Mill Park in Mill Valley

Showtime: 8:30 pm

Sponsored by

SF Connection

This hit feature film was created entirely at Pacific Data Images, 3101 Park Boulevard in Palo Alto.

Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson 2001 DreamWorks Rated PG

live in the comforts of their home like the rest of us. A nice relaxing mud bath every now and then, a self-indulgent pre-dinner cocktail, and earwax candle-lit evenings. As is Shrek, the star of our story. Throw out any romantic fairytale illusions that Disney may have ingrained. For, our present-day hero is the belching, flatulating kind. But there is more to Shrek than meets the eye. Among other things, this ogre's got intimacy issues.

His luxurious swamp home overtaken by squatters (the likes of annoying fairytale godmothers, a problem boy with his ever-growing nose, and witches galore), Shrek's solitary life is disrupted and turned upside down. Napolean-complexed Lord Farquaad has evicted every imaginable storybook creature, driving these sketchy characters to camp out on Shrek's turf. To get back his home, Shrek is ordered to rescue Farquaad's imprisoned bride-to-be Princess Fiona. The ogre and his sidekick, the chatty Donkey on constant sugar-high, face a bigger challenge than bargained for in finding the literal high-maintenance princess with her near-sighted vision of Prince Charming and happily ever after.

Shrek makes use of every opportunity to take a jab at the Disney conglomerate, traditional fairytales, and references hyped-up films including "Babe" and "The Matrix". An intense interrogation of the Gingerbread Man, and a scene flying with WWF wrestling antics are just a few other outright laughable treats in this thrill ride.

Possessing all the elements of an on-screen wonder, this film was bestowed with an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film last year. The DreamWorks team dreamed up stunning computer graphic imagery with amazing fluid movement of the characters, and lifelike texture of skin and landscape, with beautiful, vibrant hues to boot. The sharp witty script was crafted and re-edited by four screenwriters. And the voices are wonderfully cast. Mike Myers as Shrek, with his Scottish accent fetish (notice the striking similarity to Fat Bastard in the Austin Powers films). Princess Fiona's feistiness comes from Cameron Diaz's convincing deliverance. The spunky Donkey with attitude voiced by Eddie Murphy. And appropriately cast as the devious and dastardly Lord Farquaad, John Lithgow.

Of course there are enough token moral lessons for everyone here. However, it is almost unfair to the kids, to be sure, how much of a kick the adults will get from the more mature humor in this visual candy of a film.

-- Gloria Tai