Shrek Review: I’m Making Waffles

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Released in 2001, Shrek kicks off a series of 4 movies following a beloved Ogre. The movie is funny, providing entertainment for kids and adults alike. While the animation doesn’t always hold up in terms of quality, the style is still awesome.

What Happens in Shrek?

Shrek enjoys living in his swamp alone with no one to bother him; spending his days scaring off villagers who try to attack him. After saving a talking donkey named Donkey, Shrek comes to learn that a man by the name of Lord Farquaad is rounding up the fairy tale creatures of the land and putting them in one location, which just so happens to be Shrek’s swamp.

Upon returning home to find the fairy tale creatures Shrek, along with Donkey, decides to go find Lord Farquaad and make him give Shrek his swamp back.  Once Shrek arrives in Duloc, the home of Lord Farquaad, he finds that Lord Farquaad is trying to become a king by marrying a princess.

Lord Farquaad decides to allow Shrek to have his swamp back if Shrek goes to the tallest tower that is surrounded by fire and guarded by a dragon to rescue the beautiful princess Fiona who is more than she seems. Shrek and Donkey accept rather quickly, and they are off on their quest not knowing the adventure that lies ahead

Who Are The Characters in Shrek?

Shrek, being a comedic film has many colourful characters that bring their own flavour of humour to the mix that makes for a great time. Shrek (as voiced by Mike Myers) is not your typical princess-saving hero. He is loud, smelly, green, not particularly handsome, the opposite of charming, and oh yeah not even human.

We learn throughout that his rough exterior masks the fact that he is lonely. Although he says he likes living alone, he really just wants someone to not judge him solely by the way he looks. He provides a great deal of humour with his insults; mostly directed towards Farquaad and Donkey, his physical humour such as burping and farting, and the jokes that he makes just for adults. He makes a great protagonist, and a good character to centre a series of movies around.

Donkey (as voiced by Eddie Murphy) is a fast-talking animal who gets the group into trouble about as much as he helps.  After being saved by Shrek, Donkey is constantly trying to help Shrek on his quest and decides to be Shrek’s friend even though Shrek constantly insults him and talks about how annoying he is, which shows Donkey’s loyalty.

Princess Fiona (as voiced by Cameron Diaz) begins as a bland and traditional princess who was there to be the damsel in distress, but as the story goes on she proves to be a feisty character who has as many jokes as the boys, and she proves to be able to handle herself in a fight. Fiona also shows that she is a hopeless romantic who believes in true love, while at the same time, she can burp as well as Shrek.

Lord Farquaad (as voiced by John Lithgow) is a great villain in this film as he can be menacing at times though he is better when being laughed at. Whether it is about how short he is or his lack of kingly skills, like how he will not even go save the princess himself, he makes for a great comedic opposite to Shrek.

What Makes Shrek So Good?

Just like Cars, Shrek is another good movie aimed at kids that continues to have a ton of nostalgia for those of us who grew up on these movies. The film has many strengths that all begin with the way that it changes the fairy-tale formula that is so well known. With its main character being a monster, it’s different than most stories like this. The motivation for Shrek to go on this journey is not the typical setup, with Shrek just wanting his home back while not really caring about the princess or falling in love. 

The princess is also different than normal, as in a lot of fairy tales the lady does not do any fighting, and she waits to be saved by the hero. Fiona on the other hand gets in a fight and is not always the most lady-like.

The humour, of course, is another major aspect of Shrek, and there are many jokes throughout the film that will make anyone laugh. Another great aspect of the movie is that it has jokes for both kids and adults, which is not something every kid’s film does.

As for the film’s weaknesses, a problem with comedy is that it is subjective and therefore there will be jokes that not everyone laughs at or find as funny as others. There are a few other complaints as I found the ending a bit rushed after the adventure was over. It moved on quickly to the finale and it felt like everything was moving rather fast with not tons of explanation and then the movie just ended.

All in all an enjoyable film for the entire family that is bound to make you laugh. I recommend this to anyone who wants a fun adventure with a twist on the fairy tale norm.