Shrek

(movie review)

As I mentioned in my review of "Shrek 3", because I got a little confused by all the characters I made a return trip to the video store so I could re-watch Shrek 1 and Shrek 2.

But once I put this in the DVD player, I suddenly realized I had never watched Shrek 1. Somehow I had been living a lie all these years.

I think it happened like this. I saw Shrek 2 during my 3rd year on the JET program (2003-2004). There was a little gathering at Mike's house (the other JET in Ajimu) and someone had an illegal pirated copy from China. I had never seen Shrek 1, but I was able to catch up to the plot well enough, and the other people helped fill me in on the important points.

Somehow over the years I must have gotten that mixed up in my head (due, no doubt, to my infallible memory) and I thought I had seen both Shreks. But once this movie got underway in the DVD player, I realized my error.

And then, since this was a new movie for me, I realized I now had to write a review of it up on this blog to be consistent with my own rules.

Seeing films in reverse order like this is always a little disappointing because you're already familiar with the basic premise from the sequels. You're expecting a little more, but then you remember that the first movie is the one that just establishes the premise. The sequels are where the ante has to be upped up.

This movie for example: it starts out with a really great premise that all the fairy tale creatures are together in the same movie. But then instead of making use of all of these wonderful characters, it sends Shrek, the Donkey, and Princess Fiona out on a long journey all by themselves. Mike Meyers and Eddie Murphey are two funny guys no doubt about it, but it wears thin after a while, especially when they're playing to a kid audience. I would have loved to see more of Pinocchio, the three little pigs, the gingerbread man, and the rest of the fairy tale characters. (Fortunately at least they're given more time in the sequels).

And is it just me, or is does anyone else think this movie is trying a little too hard to be hip by having all those top 40 pop songs in a kids movie? And, only 6 years later the film is already feeling a bit dated because of this soundtrack.

As for the misunderstanding between Fiona and Shrek that leads to their fight at the end of the second act: this has got to be one of the most overused plot devices in films ever. Children's films I think are especially notorious for it. It had me glancing at my watch and wondering how much longer the film was going to go on for.

Still, a few good laughs make up for a lot. Overall I'd say it wasn't as good as the sequels, but it was easy to see why this film did so well.

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