Shrek - Special Edition

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson Original UK Premiere: 2001 Dvd Release: 16th September, 2002 Number Of Discs: 2 Format: Animated, Box set, PAL, Special Edition, Region 2 Encoding

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Shrek is a computer-animated movie adaptation of William Steig s 1990 fairy tale picture-book of the same name. It was released by DreamWorks SKG in May 2001. It was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, a category introduced in 2002. It was released on DVD on November 2, 2001. The name Shrek is probably derived from the German word Schreck, meaning terror. The film features the voices of Mike Myers as a large green ogre named Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, Eddie Murphy as a talkative donkey & John Lithgow as the vain Lord Farquaad. The voice of Shrek was originally recorded by Chris Farley. After his death, Mike Myers was brought on to replace him. After Myers had completed providing the voice for the character & the movie was well into production, he asked to be allowed to re- record all of his lines in a Scottish accent. It was critically acclaimed as an animated film worthy of adult interest, with many adult-oriented jokes & themes but a simple enough plot & humor to appeal to children.

DVD Extras: DVD could have been invented to showcase Shrek's stunning computer animation--admirably served here by 16:9 anamorphic widescreen presentation--while the exuberant soundtrack comes alive in 5.1 Dolby Digital.

There are plenty of extras to choose from on this DVD, from The Tech of Shrek & fake Character Interviews to the amusing Swamp Karaoke Dance Party featuring the whole cast. However, none of these features have much depth, nor do they last long & it would be easy to feel slightly disappointed--were it not for the excellent Shrek's ReVoice Studio. This first-of-its-kind feature requires a computer running Microsoft Windows 98SE or higher, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, an Internet connection & a DVD-ROM drive. However, once the DVD-ROM is up & running, the instructions could not be clearer & within minutes the whole family will be dubbing their voices over favourite characters & scenes--rendering the other extras almost irrelevant.--

Full of verve & wit Shrek is a computer-animated adaptation of William Steigs delightfully fractured fairy tale. Our title character is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad evicts local fairy tale creatures , they settle in the ogres swamp & Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek & his new pal, a talking donkey , where battles have to be won & a princess must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare but its the jokes that make Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy & Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humour is fun enough for the 10-year-old but will never embarrass their parents. Shrek is never as warm & inspired as the Toy Story films, but the realistic computer animation & a rollicking soundtrack keeps the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its cross-town rival, Disney.

Eddie Murphy is an African-American comedian & actor. Murphy began his comedy career at the young age of 19, as a performer on NBC s Saturday Night Live television show. His characters include a parody of Buckwheat from the Little Rascals & of Fred Rogers. Murphy later starred in many comedies including the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places & Coming to America. He is a versatile voice actor & voiced the donkey in the Shrek series & the dragon in Disney s Mulan. In many of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character. A perfect example of this is The Nutty Professor, a remake of the Jerry Lewis classic in which Murphy plays several members of the Klump family as well as Sherman Klumps arrogant alter ego, Buddy Love. His early comedy was racy, akin to Richard Pryor, whom Murphy says was the one that wanted to get into comedy. Characterized by excessive swearing & making fun of gays, singers & others, Murphy became, in a sense, the Pryor of the 1980s. Posters Of Eddie Murphy

Editors Choice: Shrek, The Haunted Mansion, Daddy Day Care, I Spy, Showtime, The Adventures Of Pluto Nash, Doctor Dolittle 2, The Nutty Professor, View DVDology

Michael Stanley Mike Myers is a relief pitcher who plays for the Boston Red Sox. Originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round in 1990 out of Iowa State University, Myers has pitched in the Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks & Seattle Mariners. Myers, a left-handed specialist with a submarine delivery, has appeared in more games than any pitcher in the majors since 1996. In the same period he has pitched in at least 64 games, topping 70 appearances in six of eight seasons. With Detroit, he led twice the majors with 83 appearances in 1996 and, in 1997, in 88 games, two shy of the American League record. Between 1995 & 2003, Myers compiled a 12-20 record with 327 strikeouts, a 4,37 ERA & 14 saves in 376 innings. He has held left-handed hitters to a .213 batting average with 243 strikeouts & opponents have hit just .241 all-time with runners in scoring position, just .230 with men in scoring position & two outs. On August 7, 2004, Myers was traded by Seattle to Boston. Posters Of Mike Myers

Editors Choice: Shrek 2, The Cat In The Hat, Saturday Night Live, Austin Powers In Goldmember, Shrek, Austin Powers, Waynes World, So I Married An Axe Murderer, View DVDology

Andrew Adamson is a New Zealand -born film director based mainly in Los Angeles, California, USA, where he made the blockbuster animation films, Shrek & Shrek 2. He has recently taken on the role of director, executive producer & scriptwriter in the new film based on C S Lewis The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Shooting is taking place in New Zealand, primarily based in Auckland, but will move to the South Island where much of Peter Jackson s The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was filmed. Jackson is reported to be filming parts of his upcoming version of King Kong in nearby Christchurch.

Editors Choice: Shrek, View DVDology

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