Do you want to see ‘Shrek’?

Shrek (2001)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.7/10
Reviews Counted: 176
Fresh: 156 | Rotten: 20

While simultaneously embracing and subverting fairy tales, the irreverent Shrek also manages to tweak Disney's nose, provide a moral message to children, and offer viewers a funny, fast-paced ride.

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Critic Reviews: 37
Fresh: 32 | Rotten: 5

While simultaneously embracing and subverting fairy tales, the irreverent Shrek also manages to tweak Disney's nose, provide a moral message to children, and offer viewers a funny, fast-paced ride.

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Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 1,275,418

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Movie Info

In this fully computer-animated fantasy from the creators of Antz, we follow the travails of Shrek (Mike Myers), a green ogre who enjoys a life of solitude. Living in a far away swamp, he is suddenly invaded by a hoard of fairy tale characters, such as the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, and Three Blind Mice, all refugees of their homes who have been shunned by the evil Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). They want to save their homes from ruin, and enlist the help of Shrek, who is in the same

PG, 1 hr. 29 min.

Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

Directed By: Andrew Adamson , Vicky Jenson

In Theaters: May 18, 2001 Wide

On DVD: Nov 2, 2001

Box Office:$267.0M

Dreamworks

Shrek Trailer & Photos

More Photos (28)

Cast

Critic Reviews for Shrek

All Critics (176) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (164) | Rotten (20) | DVD (43)

This romantic fantasy complicates the roles of beauty and beast, making it hard to guess what form a sensitive resolution will take.

February 17, 2012 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

No one has ever made a funnier jackass of himself than Murphy.

September 1, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

What gives Shrek its special artistic distinction is its witty and knowingly sassy dialogue, delivered by vocally charismatic performers whose voices remind us of their stellar screen personae in live-action movies.

April 27, 2007 Full Review Source: New York Observer

| Comment

Andrew Sarris

New York Observer

Top Critic

The script, instead of being what we tolerate in order to savor the visuals, is a delight all by itself.

May 21, 2001 Full Review Source: New York Magazine

| Comment

Peter Rainer

New York Magazine

Top Critic

This is beautiful work.

May 18, 2001 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle

| Comments (2)

Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

An exuberant Eddie Murphy gives the comic performance of his career.

May 18, 2001 Full Review Source: USA Today

| Comment

Susan Wloszczyna

USA Today

Top Critic

animation is hardly groundbreaking

February 13, 2011 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews

| Comments (5)

John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews Source: Old School Reviews

Gross-out laughs meet a marvelous fairytale mix.

December 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Though imperfect, "Shrek" offers enough diversions from animation's go-go-go that it's been sad - after lackluster third and fourth installments - to see the lovable green guy turn the way of impersonal franchise cash-grabbing.

October 1, 2010 Full Review Source: Suite101.com

| Comment

Nick Rogers

Suite101.com

The only things it takes seriously are the notions of true love and beauty-is-only-skin-deep, good things for kids to soak up after they've had their fill of flatulence.

May 4, 2010 Full Review Source: East Bay Express

| Comment

Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

Kids will love the plot, parents will love the jokes.

April 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed

| Comment

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Hugely entertaining, sassy and great-looking...

September 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Daniel Etherington

Film4

Unique brand of entertainment: Simple and straightforward in its textal surface, but sophisticated and witty in subtextual connotations, including racy barbs addressed at Disney, which until recently had monopoly on animation fare, but not anynmore.

May 3, 2007 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Shrek is amusing and charming and it stands on it's own, but it does not rival Disney's best and I'm not saying it needs to, but that simply is the bar.

September 27, 2006 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com

| Comment

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

Gag by gag -- and there's a stream -- it's merrily irreverent, visually and vocally. The bigger picture, though, is rather more conventional.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment (1)

Time Out

I seem to be the only one in the world unimpressed by this so-so animated feature.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid

| Comments (10)

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Absolute perfection!

December 31, 2005 Full Review Source: Supercala.com

| Comments (2)

John Venable

Supercala.com

Bottom line: the story satisfies and the jokes avoid juvenile cliches.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat

| Comment

Chris Gore

Film Threat

What saves this movie are the performances by the actors, particularly Murphy and Myers.

September 30, 2005 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs

| Comment

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

Truth be told, it's damn enjoyable.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

| Comment

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

This double-disk set is a great buy for fans of Shrek.

January 15, 2005 Full Review Source: Fantastica Daily

| Comment

Staci Layne Wilson

Fantastica Daily

Shrek's pros outweigh its cons, making this overall a delightful and fun entertainment with a refreshingly honest message.

December 6, 2004 Full Review Source: Looking Closer

| Comment

Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Closer

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Shrek

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Shrek is up there with the greatest animated films ever. It is an animated film that was everything a comedy and animated film should be, but I am serious, never before has a movie spoofed fairy tales and princess stories so well and it actually has a great deal of heart to it that made it just so better as well.

February 28, 2011

Brad Wright

Super Reviewer

SHREK is not just a family movie. It's a hilarious, wholesome take on the fairy tales that all of us have been familiar with since the age of three (or possibly even younger). And such a wonderful re-imagination became so beloved by both kids and grown-ups alike that three sequels were spawned to create a more

June 14, 2011

Alexander Diminiano

Super Reviewer

Shrek Quotes

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1. Princess Fiona: [Repeated line] Hi-ya!
– Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
1. Shrek: This is the part where you run away.
– Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
1. Donkey: Oh, wow! That was REALLY scary!
– Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
1. Shrek: [Repeated line] ROAR!
– Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
1. Donkey: I like that boulder. That is a nice boulder.
– Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)

Character	Quote
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