Shrek

A closer look at the story

Shrek is a huge, green ogre with a frightening appearance; he smells a little, but deep down he is rather likeable. He is lonely, but heroics are hardly his style; even so, he finds himself on a mission: rescuing the beautiful Princess Fiona, who is held captive by a fire-breathing dragon. Along this perilous road he is accompanied by a wisecracking donkey who never stops talking. The familiar conventions of the fairy-tale world are turned on their heads one after another during the pair's journey. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, the 90-minute 2001 animation gives voice roles to Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow in a comedy that pokes fun at fairy tales.