Movie Review: 'Shrek'
It's A Classic -- And That's No Ogre-Statement
'Shrek' (PG)
The fairy tale genre has literally entered a new dimension with the computer animated family comedy "Shrek," and like the stories it is based upon -- and lampoons to an extent -- this movie is destined to become a classic (in fact, it feels like one already).
Mike Myers voices the title character, a huge green ogre who is sent by the unusually small but big-headed (literally and figuratively) Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) to rescue the imprisoned Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her prison fortress. Along for the journey with Shrek is a donkey named Donkey (Eddie Murphy), a sharp-tongued outcast who revels in his own arrogance. But behind his confidence is a pain much like Shrek's -- he just wants to be accepted for who he is.The computer animation that guides "Shrek" from one adventure to another is eye-popping, but with the escalating advancements in technology from one film to the next, that's almost to be expected. What makes this modern-day take on the classic fairy tale complete is a brilliant script, which in an odd sort of way makes the film come off like an anti-fairy tale.Sure, "Shrek" roasts the traditional stuff -- including "Three Blind Mice," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs," and such Disney animated favorites as "Snow White" and "Pinocchio" -- but it could hardly be considered sacrilege to purists and definitely does nothing that will cause a tizzy with the Disney folks.In fact, the movie employs the same sort of goofball humor that appealed to kids and the smart wit that spoke to adult audiences in the Mouse House's enormously successful "Toy Story" films, yet maintains the sort of strong, yet humbling messages that will no doubt speak to both adults and children. There's always a risk involved with that approach since one half of its intended audience could be alienated: But "Shrek" pulls off the tricky balancing act without a hitch.Much in the same way the animation shines in "Shrek," the voice roles are executed with clever delivery. Much less pronounced than his previous characterizations on "Saturday Night Live" and as Fat Bastard in "Austin Powers," Myers's lilting Scottish accent as Shrek is convincing, if not completely engaging and perfect for the role of the gentle giant. Lithgow, as expected, is devilishly good as Lord Farquaad, adding even more creepiness to an already surreal character. The slipper fits perfectly for Diaz as the princess, too, and her character gets the nicest twist of the story to boot.Even in the presence of a solid company, the show-stealer of "Shrek" is easily Murphy as Donkey. He's got all the great lines and kicks out a gut-busting performance. Perhaps Murphy's greatest advantage was that he was enabled to work much more of his own personality into the character than his fellow voice actors, yet through the wonders of the film's voice editing, in no way hogs the scenes. He's a hoot.If there's a universal moral to this story for the Hollywood types, it comes in the impressive way in which yet another animated movie out-smarts its live-action counterparts. It engages you emotionally and suspends your disbelief in a way that few live-action movies can, and does so without sacrificing the content for cool visuals. The film was a labor of love driven by great material, and it shows. So, no matter what its final tally is at the box office, "Shrek" will always remain as one of the biggest success stories written this year.Also New: Jennifer Lopez stars as a cop who is saved by a mysterious man (James Caviezel) who appears to be a guardian angel, developing an intense relationship in "Angel Eyes" (R). The thriller is directed by Luis Mandoki ("When a Man Loves A Woman," "Message in a Bottle") and co-stars Sonia Braga.
If there's any irony about the Christopher Guest dog-show satire "Best in Show," it's that the movie is about a competition. After all, is there any way Guest can compete with his masterpiece "mockumentary" on community theater, "Waiting for Guffman?"If so, let's just say that in this latest competition with himself (you have to remember, before "Guffman" he was a major contributor to "This Is Spinal Tap"), "Best in Show" is no dog.In fact, this "dogumentary" (I'd love to take credit for that one, but it was the working title of the film), written by Guest and "Guffman" co-scribe Eugene Levy, is another purebred classic. Guest, along with co-writer Eugene Levy and virtually every cast member from "Guffman" star in "Show" as a bunch of fanatics getting ready for the major league Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. While the dog show aspect mainly consumes "Best in Show," viewers should know that it's not as much a movie about dogs as it is about the owners themselves. While the obsession of the owners obviously is what supplies the laughs here, "Best in Show" is ultimately like "Guffman" in that it provides another way to laugh at ourselves. Sure, while most of us are not dog-show people (though a great many own and love their dogs), most of us do have some sort of quirky passion, if not a passion to a fault (if you don't believe that, roll tape or put a mirror in front of yourself before the next pro sporting event). What Guest and Levy do again, essentially, is make it easy for us relate to the characters. Inevitably, "Best in Show" will be subject to many comparisons with "Guffman" -- and it should. It's impossible to ignore the fact that "Guffman" was one of the most original projects to come along in years when it debuted in 1996, and "Best in Show" has done its legacy proud. 'Pay It Forward' (PG-13) 
If "Pay It Forward" accomplishes anything, at least it shows another example of why there is something to look "forward" to, acting-wise, in Hollywood's future. It features yet another stunning performance by "The Sixth Sense" star Haley Joel Osment -- he not only holds his own within the presence of his esteemed company (the equally impressive Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt), but more importantly, he proves that an actor his age can give a lead performance that's able to rise above flawed material. That's something even a lot of veteran adults can't do. Osment stars as Trevor, a wise-beyond-his-years pre-teen who rises above an adverse family life to devise a school project that sets off a wave of human kindness. And while the plot boasts a fresh breath of originality, a solid cast, the execution of "Pay It Forward" could have used some fast-forwarding. Director Mimi Leder (who gave depth to the meteor movie "Deep Impact") takes an enormous amount of time to unfold the series of events that comprise "Pay It Forward," almost to the point where you wonder if this "wave of human kindness" is going to end up being a wash. To make matters even more confusing, Leder options for a bittersweet ending that will no doubt gauge mixed emotions from its audience. It's the sort of "pay"off you won't expect, if not utterly be disappointed in.
The fairy tale genre has literally entered a new dimension with the computer animated family comedy "Shrek," and like the stories it is based upon -- and lampoons to an extent -- this movie is destined to become a classic (in fact, it feels like one already).Mike Myers voices the title character, a huge green ogre who is sent by the unusually small but big-headed (literally and figuratively) Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) to rescue the imprisoned Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her prison fortress. Along for the journey with Shrek is a donkey named Donkey (Eddie Murphy), a sharp-tongued outcast who revels in his own arrogance. But behind his confidence is a pain much like Shrek's -- he just wants to be accepted for who he is.The computer animation that guides "Shrek" from one adventure to another is eye-popping, but with the escalating advancements in technology from one film to the next, that's almost to be expected. What makes this modern-day take on the classic fairy tale complete is a brilliant script, which in an odd sort of way makes the film come off like an anti-fairy tale.Sure, "Shrek" roasts the traditional stuff -- including "Three Blind Mice," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs," and such Disney animated favorites as "Snow White" and "Pinocchio" -- but it could hardly be considered sacrilege to purists and definitely does nothing that will cause a tizzy with the Disney folks.In fact, the movie employs the same sort of goofball humor that appealed to kids and the smart wit that spoke to adult audiences in the Mouse House's enormously successful "Toy Story" films, yet maintains the sort of strong, yet humbling messages that will no doubt speak to both adults and children. There's always a risk involved with that approach since one half of its intended audience could be alienated: But "Shrek" pulls off the tricky balancing act without a hitch.Much in the same way the animation shines in "Shrek," the voice roles are executed with clever delivery. Much less pronounced than his previous characterizations on "Saturday Night Live" and as Fat Bastard in "Austin Powers," Myers's lilting Scottish accent as Shrek is convincing, if not completely engaging and perfect for the role of the gentle giant. Lithgow, as expected, is devilishly good as Lord Farquaad, adding even more creepiness to an already surreal character. The slipper fits perfectly for Diaz as the princess, too, and her character gets the nicest twist of the story to boot.Even in the presence of a solid company, the show-stealer of "Shrek" is easily Murphy as Donkey. He's got all the great lines and kicks out a gut-busting performance. Perhaps Murphy's greatest advantage was that he was enabled to work much more of his own personality into the character than his fellow voice actors, yet through the wonders of the film's voice editing, in no way hogs the scenes. He's a hoot.If there's a universal moral to this story for the Hollywood types, it comes in the impressive way in which yet another animated movie out-smarts its live-action counterparts. It engages you emotionally and suspends your disbelief in a way that few live-action movies can, and does so without sacrificing the content for cool visuals. The film was a labor of love driven by great material, and it shows. So, no matter what its final tally is at the box office, "Shrek" will always remain as one of the biggest success stories written this year.Also New: Jennifer Lopez stars as a cop who is saved by a mysterious man (James Caviezel) who appears to be a guardian angel, developing an intense relationship in "Angel Eyes" (R). The thriller is directed by Luis Mandoki ("When a Man Loves A Woman," "Message in a Bottle") and co-stars Sonia Braga.New On Video
'Best In Show' (PG-13)If there's any irony about the Christopher Guest dog-show satire "Best in Show," it's that the movie is about a competition. After all, is there any way Guest can compete with his masterpiece "mockumentary" on community theater, "Waiting for Guffman?"If so, let's just say that in this latest competition with himself (you have to remember, before "Guffman" he was a major contributor to "This Is Spinal Tap"), "Best in Show" is no dog.In fact, this "dogumentary" (I'd love to take credit for that one, but it was the working title of the film), written by Guest and "Guffman" co-scribe Eugene Levy, is another purebred classic. Guest, along with co-writer Eugene Levy and virtually every cast member from "Guffman" star in "Show" as a bunch of fanatics getting ready for the major league Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. While the dog show aspect mainly consumes "Best in Show," viewers should know that it's not as much a movie about dogs as it is about the owners themselves. While the obsession of the owners obviously is what supplies the laughs here, "Best in Show" is ultimately like "Guffman" in that it provides another way to laugh at ourselves. Sure, while most of us are not dog-show people (though a great many own and love their dogs), most of us do have some sort of quirky passion, if not a passion to a fault (if you don't believe that, roll tape or put a mirror in front of yourself before the next pro sporting event). What Guest and Levy do again, essentially, is make it easy for us relate to the characters. Inevitably, "Best in Show" will be subject to many comparisons with "Guffman" -- and it should. It's impossible to ignore the fact that "Guffman" was one of the most original projects to come along in years when it debuted in 1996, and "Best in Show" has done its legacy proud. 'Pay It Forward' (PG-13) If "Pay It Forward" accomplishes anything, at least it shows another example of why there is something to look "forward" to, acting-wise, in Hollywood's future. It features yet another stunning performance by "The Sixth Sense" star Haley Joel Osment -- he not only holds his own within the presence of his esteemed company (the equally impressive Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt), but more importantly, he proves that an actor his age can give a lead performance that's able to rise above flawed material. That's something even a lot of veteran adults can't do. Osment stars as Trevor, a wise-beyond-his-years pre-teen who rises above an adverse family life to devise a school project that sets off a wave of human kindness. And while the plot boasts a fresh breath of originality, a solid cast, the execution of "Pay It Forward" could have used some fast-forwarding. Director Mimi Leder (who gave depth to the meteor movie "Deep Impact") takes an enormous amount of time to unfold the series of events that comprise "Pay It Forward," almost to the point where you wonder if this "wave of human kindness" is going to end up being a wash. To make matters even more confusing, Leder options for a bittersweet ending that will no doubt gauge mixed emotions from its audience. It's the sort of "pay"off you won't expect, if not utterly be disappointed in.Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
