SHREK" is an animated feature starring a princess, a fire-breathing dragon, a castle, an ogre, fairytale creatures, and more than its fair share of magic. The producer made "The Lion King" and its screenwriters wrote "Aladdin". Sounds typical enough for a standard animated release. But that's where the similarities end. The film is made by DreamWorks, the prince is the bad guy, the princess kicks butt, and the hero -- he's the ogre.
Shrek scribes Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio are convinced this was one of the reasons for the film getting the green light. "There's never been a movie starring an ogre," says Rossio, who co-created the loner Shrek and is one of the film's co-producers.
The story begins with Shrek unsettled from a peaceful swamp existence by an influx of asylum-seeking fairytale creatures, uprooted by the evil (and vertically-challenged) Lord Farquaad.
The disgruntled Shrek embarks on a journey to get the swamp back all to himself.
In Shrek, Elliott and Rossio fracture not only fairytales, but Disney as well. Because of their intimate and first-hand knowledge of the classic Disney formula, they easily lull viewers into a false sense of comfort, before flipping it all on its end so unexpectedly that you'll probably find yourself crying with laughter in the aisles like the Sydney audience last night. I haven't laughed so hard in a film in years.
Some of the funniest moments occur when Disney properties or characters are being spoofed, like Lord Farquaad's palace which resembles a certain theme park, right down to the parking lot.
Visually stunning, the film is voiced by stellar talent, including Mike Myers as Shrek in a Mrs-Doubtfire-meets-Fat-Bastard Scottish inflection, Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), John Lithgow (Lord Farquaad) and Eddie Murphy as Shrek's ass-inine companion. Murphy is the standout -- his performance as the Donkey makes you want to buy his six-inch effigy the moment he comes onscreen.
With so many contemporary trailers spoiling films with the best jokes (and usually the surprise killer) revealed in under two minutes, it was pleasantly surprising to find the funniest parts of "Shrek" were not even hinted at in the variety of trailers and TV spots released. This is one of the reasons I am convinced the film will score so much extra positive word of mouth: there are proportionately lower expectations combined with a genuinely enjoyable film.
Look out for Shrek spending a lot of his summer in theaters across the country -- this green ogre is going to be a monster hit!
《怪物史莱克》简评
该片是美国著名的梦工场电影公司在2001年推出的动画大片。这部完全利用电脑制作的动画片在美国刚一上映就取得了惊人的票房收入,在所有的动画片排行榜中位居榜首,并获得了奥斯卡最佳动画片奖。它的成功有很多因素大致如下:
一、 高科技电脑动画的应用。这部影片的成功之处首先要归功于高科技电脑动画的设计。梦工场在这部动画片上投入了大量的人力和物力,从人物形象到人物动作,以及背景环境和音响效果无一不是经过了精心策划。因此影片中的人物形象非常逼真,几乎可以和真人影片相媲美。
二、 音乐效果的制作。这部影片的音乐制作也很宏大。比如在史莱克决斗的场景中,导演就设计了节奏感很强的摇滚音乐为史莱克的决斗伴奏,从而达到渲染气氛的作用。当公主在森林里引吭高歌时,导演把公主的嗓音设计成意大利歌剧中女高音的唱腔,这样的音乐对突现主人公的性格特征起到了相当大的作用。
三、 动画形象的出色设计。动画形象设计在动画片中占有很大的比重,一个好的动画形象可以让影片增色不少。影片中的男主人公是一个妖魔,他的形象应该和人有区别,可是他又不是单纯意义上的专做坏事的妖魔,他和许多好人一样拥有一颗善良的心,那么他的形象应该被设计成什么样呢?经过动画专家的研究,我们看到了银幕上的史莱克的搞怪形象。这样的形象和以往童话中的英雄人物形象相去甚远,不过,就是这样一个怪物却有着一颗善良的心,而且最终夺得了美人归。
四、 蒙太奇手法的运用。“蒙太奇”是电影中常用的一种手法,现在也被广泛地应用到动画片的制作当中。在《怪物史莱克》中就有许多蒙太奇手法的运用,并取得了相当成功的艺术效果。例如在影片一开始,描述的是史莱克早上起床之后的情景:他用沼泽里的淤泥洗澡;用毛毛虫刷牙;在沼泽水中抓鱼做早餐等,这些镜头的组合展示了史莱克在沼泽独自生活的快乐心情。
五、 内容上的独创性。这部动画片内容的创新之处就在于其故事模本的不落俗套和对传统动画的彻底颠覆。第一:影片的主角就是怪物史莱克,故事是以他营救公主的整个过程为主线的。但是史莱克一开始并不是为了什么伟大的目的去营救公主的,他只是想要回自己的沼泽地。这样的形象在以往的动画片中是不多见的,以往的动画片中英雄形象的性格特征都是善良而正义的,他们为了某种祟高的目的去营救受难的人们,但是在《怪物史莱克》里,这种模式被完全改写了。第二:影片突破了英雄救美的传统模式。在以往动画片中,英雄人物非富即贵,要么是英俊潇洒的国王,要么是智慧过人的王子,而且男女主人公都是一见钟情。而《怪物史莱克》则完全打破了这样的模式。英雄既不是王子,相貌也不英俊潇洒,而且男女主人公并没有在一开始就一见钟情,私定终身。第三:影片最终结局时,公主的形象变化也很让观众出乎意料。在许多同类题材的动画片中,公主的形象都是由丑变美,最终和自己的白马王子幸福地生活在一起。而在这部影片的片尾,公主的最终形象却被定格为一个既丑陋又肥胖的形象,“丑女”与“怪物”结合这样的结局的确让很多观众耳目一新,我们不得不佩服导演的独具匠心和艺术独创力。
《怪物史莱克》中还有一些值得称道的地方,比如影片中出现了许多借鉴中国文化的部分。公主的形象就很东方化,嘴巴小巧,面部线条很柔和细腻。而且她在遇到强盗时所使用的一身功夫,很明显就是来自于中国武术。总之,无论是从影片内部电脑动画的精良制作还是到影片外部的明星配音,《怪物史莱克》以其自身在形象设计、音乐布景、内容选材上都可以称得上是一部动画精品,它又为全世界的动画片爱好者提供了一顿精美的“视觉大餐”。