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Shrek Review
By Max Messier
Very Good
Computer animation's "WOW" factor bar has just bumped up another notch. Shrek, a fairy tale of sorts, is the raiser of that bar, giving us a tale that revolves around an ogre who makes candles out of his earwax, a talking donkey who's afraid of the dark, a princess who likes "Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain," and a "vertically challenged" lord who looks a bit like Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
With WWF-style wrestling, vivid color schemes, a scary ogre who's not that scary, psychological evaluation by a talking donkey, loads of humor, and a simple and straightforward plot, Shrek zings along, providing fun and thrills at every turn. But the real treasure lies in Shrek's ability to subtlety poke fun at the mega-mouse corporation of Disney en route to providing a quick 85 minutes of pure entertainment. Torturing the Gingerbread Man? I'm sold.
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Shrek 2 Review
By David Thomas
Very Good
When Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) pulls off his helmet to reveal a hairnet in the first minute of Shrek 2, it's clear the sequel intends to match the wit and style of its predecessor. Fortunately it succeeds, finding new targets for its fairy-tale bashing humor. The result is the kind of summer escapism you don't need to lower your expectations to enjoy.
The sequel begins where part one left off. Ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) and his now equally ogre-rific wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz) embark on a hilarious honeymoon montage, complete with mermaid-tossing. They return to find Donkey (Eddie Murphy) still fulfilling his role as "annoying talking animal." Before they can kick him out, however, they receive an invitation from Fiona's parents, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), who want to meet their daughter's new husband. Unfortunately, they didn't see the first film, and have no idea that their daughter is now permanently of the green persuasion, as is their new son-in-law.
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Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Review
Terrible
The only Nightmare on Elm Street movie to begin with a Friedrich Nietzsche quote and give us Freddy riding a broomstick, aping The Wizard of Oz -- all in the first 10 minutes -- not to mention appearances from a young Breckin Meyer to Yaphet Kotto. Cameos are legion: From a returning Johnny Depp (credited as Oprah Noodlemantra) to then-hot Tom Arnold and Roseanne. Too bad it's all for naught. Longtime Nightmare collaborator Rachel Talalay (a production manager on the first installment and later a screenwriter) got behind the camera on this outing, turning in the absolute worst entry of the series. (Freddy as video game character murderer? Pass.)