Animated. 2001, Running Time, Rated PG for mild language and some crude humor.�Dir: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson . Cast: Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), John Lithgow (Lord Farquaad).

DreamWorks had a great time making the new all-CGI Shrek, and it shows, because I had just a good a time watching it. A fairy tale for our time, where the ugly ones are noble and the Prince Charming's are doofuses, in the style of Toy Story or Animaniacs, there's plenty of comedy spread around for children (more visual, or about flatulence) and adults (plenty of pop culture references).

The digs taken at Disney and other fairy tales are hilarious -it's hard to beat the Gingerbread man telling the bad guy to "eat me" while being tortured. The scenes really bring out the little kid inside, but no less fun are our heroes, ogre Shrek and the talking donkey (voiced constantly by a hyper Eddie Murphy).

I don't know if this was on purpose, but the baddie voiced by John Lithgow is named Lord Farquaad, which sounds an awful lot like Lord F***wad. Maybe that's one of those Disney-esque wink wink nudge nudges like the phallic-shaped spire of Little Mermaid or dirt that spells sex in The Lion King. DreamWorks creators have more of these slams at Disney and its' honcho, Michael Eisner, such as whether the Lord's rather tall and bulky castle is compensating for other shortcomings.

And in a continuing topic that disturbs me every time I delve into it, Princess Fiona's pretty hot, but on a level below Princess Jasmine (Aladdin), Ariel (Little Mermaid) or Jane (Tarzan). Maybe it was that she was voiced by Cameron Diaz, for whom I don't have much affinity.

Like The Mummy Returns two weeks ago, and A Knight's Tale last, Shrek is pure summer entertainment that leaves you with a big grin (especially considering the musical number finale).

p.s. It was amusing watching how a couple of trailers were cleaned up for the crowd of impressionable minds (my own included), such as the goat scene dropped from The Animal, and instead of the bug heading for his crotch in Evolution, the doctor says it's headed for his butt.

The verdict:

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