In this slightly off-kilter fantasy comedy yarn, Mike Myers plays the title character: a grumpy, antisocial green ogre who’s unwillingly nominated (along with an obnoxious talking mule) to rescue a princess and thus bestow royalty upon a conniving small-time noble. Shockingly, on the road back to town, our little troupe of misfits discovers the true value of love and friendship and judging books by their covers and all that. Terribly formulaic and predictable material, but at least the film’s love of skewed nursery rhymes and a dynamic cast of vocal talent provides some spice. Myers breaks out his famous Scottish accent in the lead role, familiar to anyone who may have caught him as the cantankerous father in _So I Married an Axe Murderer_ or Fat Bastard in the _Austin Powers_ films, and delivers his usual blend of tame, family-friendly laughs and heart-on-sleeve sentimentality. Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow provide varying degrees of support beneath his extra-sized performance.

Although it generally looks and acts like a clumsy student film, maybe an exercise to work out the kinks of its now-prehistoric animation software, _Shrek_ is actually the second fully-CG movie released by DreamWorks Animation. What lessons they learned with 1998’s _Antz_, I can’t imagine, because surely this must’ve represented some kind of step forward and it looks reeaaallly bad. For such a visual-driven genre, that’s a backbreaker. The voice actors do generally good work, Murphy and Myers especially, but not enough to overcome such a stiff, boring aesthetic and an unremarkable plot. Did this become a meme because so many internet trolls grew up with it, or because it’s so painfully inept? Maybe a little of both?

Shrek is a masterpiece! It helped subvert the Disney Renaissance formula with great humor and heart. Myers, Murphy, Diaz and Lithgow did a great job voicing the characters. Now that this film is 20 years old, I am glad it existed.

Eddie Murphy was actually funny in this. I mean he was 1980s Eddie Murphy style funny in this. It was like he was at the top of his game again.

It makes you miss Eddie. What we have today is not the glory that he once was.

But, beyond the great return of funny Eddie...there is a wonderful dark humor that goes great with an otherwise wholesome and moving moral.

Poor old ogre "Shrek" just want to be left alone, that's all - he's got a bit of the Greta Garbo's about him. Rather inconveniently, though, nasty Lord "Farquaad" who has a little of the Napoleon syndrome about him, banishes all the fairytale creatures from his lands and so they turn up on the doorstep of our green friend. How can he be rid of them all? Well together with his new (and frankly quite annoying friend) "Donkey" they head to the castle where they are given challenge: go and rescue the Princess "Fiona" from her dragon-guarded castle tower and bring her to marry the diminutive dictator. Off they go on a series of fun escapades that introduce us to all the creatures in the forest - including a decidedly French "Robin Hood , "Pinocchio", "Peter Pan" - indeed, just about everyone from the fables pantheon. Do they achieve their mission - we you will just have to watch and see; but along the way the jokes have plenty to amuse older audiences with a screenplay that pokes some gentle fun at some prevailing stereotypes on beauty, loyalty, bullying, sexuality - you name it. Murphy is still fearsomely annoying - sorry, but Messrs. Myers, Lithgow and Cassel along with Cameron Diaz add richness to the punchy script and to the excellent and enjoyably colourful animation to create a film that has stood the test of time well.