Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this movie is rated PG, but it includes some edgy humor directed at teens and adults. It's a shame that Hollywood finds it necessary to include this material in a movie that would be otherwise perfect family fare, but that's the economic reality of this era of moviemaking. The jokes teens and adults snicker at (like when Shrek wonders if the small Lord Farquaad is compensating for something with his very tall castle) will be over the heads of most younger kids, but parents should be ready for some questions. There's also plenty of potty humor and gross-out joke directed at kids – mostly based on the appalling personal habits of ogres. Scary scenes for young ones include fights with guards, villagers coming after Shrek with pitchforks, and a fire-breathing dragon (who turns nice when she falls for Donkey). A bird explodes and its eggs are eaten, and a character is eaten in one gulp by the dragon, but it's not graphic.
Families can talk about Donkey's statement that Shrek has "that kind of 'I don't care what nobody thinks of me' thing." Is it true that Shrek didn't care what people thought of him? How can you tell? What did it mean to say that ogres are like onions? What does it mean to say that people have layers? Princess Fiona expected Prince Charming to save her and Shrek came instead. How did she change her mind about him? How did it help her to accept herself? Why is self-acceptance so important?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Nell Minow
It has an enchanted princess in a tower, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. It has a big, green ogre with a Yiddish name. It has a donkey that not only talks, and not only sings, but sings the old Monkees' song, "I'm a Believer." It has an evil (but short) bad guy, kickboxing, a Robin Hood and Merry Men who perform an Irish Riverdance, potty humor, and some digs at Disney. And it has sensational animation, adventure, romance, and laughter.
Shrek is a big, green ogre who lives happily alone in a swamp. But Lord Farquaad of nearby Dulac has a plan for creating the perfect kingdom, and that means getting rid of all of the fairy tale characters and sending them to "a designated resettlement community." Soon, the three blind mice, the three little pigs, the gingerbread man, all the broom-flying witches, Pinocchio, and a talking donkey are all relocated to the swamp. Shrek is furious at the intrusion. He makes a deal with Farquaad, who needs to marry a princess to put the final touch on his kingdom. Shrek will rescue Princess Fiona and bring her to Farquaad, and Farquaad will give Shrek his swamp back.
The movie is a marvelous fairy tale, with a thrilling quest and a happily-ever-after ending. It has the great themes of enduring myths, about believing in yourself, being loved for the person you really are, and good triumphing over evil. It is also a delicious satire, tweaking all of our assumptions about ogres, princesses, rescues, and even fire-breathing dragons. The voice talents of Mike Myers (as the Scottish-burred Shrek), Eddie Murphy (as Donkey the talking donkey), Cameron Diaz (as Princess Fiona), and John Lithgow (as Farquaad) are all perfect.
The computer animation is breathtaking, like nothing seen before it. The textures are stunning. The glass, fire, clouds, and water seem three-dimensional, and you will feel that Donkey's fur almost brushes your hand. The animation has wonderful warmth and depth, but it also has a great deal of character and wit. The facial expressions and body language are such a treat that the audience can't help thinking that if ogres and donkeys and don't really look like that, they should.
Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy Shrek 2, The Princess Bride, and the spoof Young Frankenstein. Families with younger children will enjoy some of the books by William Steig, who wrote this story, especially Slyvester and the Magic Pebble.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentMild sexual humor. Some innuendo that will go over kids' head (for example, when Shrek sees the big tower that is Farquaad's castle and says to Donkey, "Gee, think he's compensating for something?"). |
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ViolenceCharacters in peril; ogre hunters wave pitchforks and torches; a bird explodes; scary fire-breathing dragon (who is much less scary when she gets a crush on Donkey); one character is eaten in one gulp by the dragon. |
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LanguageStrong language for a PG movie, including "damn," "ass," and "crap." |
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Social BehaviorTolerance of individual differences, but Shrek's bad hygeine is on display for laughs. Princess Fiona is a strong character who challenges the prim-'n'-proper princess stereotype. |
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