In a land far, far away, called Duloc, all of the resident fairy tale creatures are being rounded up and booted to a place that makes Never-Neverland look like Club Med -- all at the ends of Evil Lord Farquaad (voiced by John Lithgow). All Farquaad needs to complete his plan is a princess as his bride, so that he might become king. And if not for a simple twist of fate, he might have succeeded. But through that simple twist of fate, a lonely ogre, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers), and a recently acquainted Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) are placed on a journey to rescue the Evil Lord's Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) from a fearful dragon. Hilarity ensues as love and true friendship are shown through these enchanting characters and their interactions.

      Above all, it was this clever story that made everything worthwhile, and so the writing team deserves its praise -- they were the ones that will have people coming back again and again. William Steig wrote the book on this outstanding parody of fairy tales, a feat few have actually accomplished. Last year's television miniseries "The 10th Kingdom" attempted to incorporate a fairy tale within a mixed array of fairy tale stories, but while it was mildly successful, it was more suited for an older crowd. Not so this time. Steig was able to collaborate with The Road to El Dorado writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, Beavis and Butt-head writer Joe Stillman, and Balto writer Roger Schulman to come up with this unique tale pleasing to viewers of all ages. With so many fairy tales in the world, it's difficult to imagine which ones to leave in and which ones to leave out, but this writing team was successful in covering a good range.

      Fortunately, no single fairy tale character took over the film, as it was the original characters leading the way and finding themselves in hilarious encounters with classics like Pinocchio as well as lesser-known characters. Remember the Three Blind Mice? You won't be able to forget them after their priceless scenes here. Do you know the Muffin Man? Well, you still won't after this film, but the scene-stealer if I ever saw one would be the Gingerbread Man. This character is brought to light in new ways that will make you laugh till you cry.

      Even Robin Hood and his merry men have a little showstopper all to themselves -- a parody of The Matrix taken to the extreme. The scene was tastefully constructed, and isn't overdone or unwelcome -- which could be said for the movie as a whole. All of the characters and skits are carefully mixed together and never seem out of place. Steig and the other writers really put together a lovely tale.

      Behind the helm, directors Adamson and Jenson (both first-timers) were able to pull off a visually marvelous film. Adamson did visual effects work on the last two Batman films, but nothing to this scale, and the attention to detail that was put into this film is near-incredible. Shrek's introductory scene at the beginning of the film and the imaginative unveiling of the credits deserve two good looks. An equally appealing match editing of characters and scenes near the end was a sign of how well today's computers can weave a beautiful tale and make it look professional. Not only were there innovative characters like Shrek to show the animators' creative side, but there were also people like Lord Farquaad, whose hair was almost as lifelike as the real thing.

      As for the characters themselves, the voices were well-chosen and well-played. Mike Myers held his own, reprising a similar accent to his Fat Bastard character from the second Austin Powers film. Eddie Murphy, too, has to be given notice for a job well done. With his character, the Donkey is over-the-top, loud, obnoxious, and above all, downright hilarious.

      What sets Shrek apart, though (especially among fairy tales), is its strong themes. Love, beauty, and even friendship play huge roles throughout and are never abandoned for a minute. Shrek struggles with all three of these throughout most of the story, but with the help of Princess Fiona and the Donkey, he's able to overcome his rejection from society. In this regard, the ending is almost as perfect as the beginning -- a film of this nature could have easily gone for the typical Hollywood fairy tale exit. But viewers won't be disappointed. Shrek is a film that doesn't hold back anything and least of all listen to the tired conventions of mainstream film.

      Shrek is a story about fairy tales, that is a fairy tale itself, but it reaches new themes and characters that easily top any of those found in Disney classics like Toy Story. This film has it all: good, strong laughs; a little bit of singing and dancing (but not too much); characters to hate; characters to love; and some downright unforgettable scenes. If there ever was a time to argue about what to see at the theater or rent on video, this would be the compromise that would satisfy everyone. Enjoy Shrek for all it's worth, and keep reaching for the stars.

Michael J. Eiff, 2001