I've got a body odour problem. Speak for yourself

Nigel Bell

In recent months Disney's had it pretty much its own way when it comes to children's movies. The Emperor's New Groove and Spy Kids have proved they still lead the way when it comes to family animation and live action films. In a few weeks they'll look a full length feature of the TV show Recess to consolidate their position.

But even Disney might have to take a back seat with the arrival of Shrek.

You think I'm ballroom dancing? You're wrong, so wrong

It's from the Dreamworks team which brought us Antz back in 1998. That film was overshadowed by Disney's A Bug's Life, but Shrek is destined to win the battle this time around.

It offers something for children and adults alike and further enhances the reputation of computer animation begun with Toy Story.

What Shrek does is turn the traditional fairy tale on its head. It starts ordinarily enough with a narrator reading from a "Once Upon A Time" fairy book. The cosy feeling lasts two minutes before a page of the book is torn out and used as toilet tissue.

The narrator is Shrek (Myers), a giant green ogre (with a Scottish accent) used to the solitary life in his swamp haven.

But life is about to change. The evil Lord Farquaad (Lithgow) is evicting all fairy folk from his kingdom and they end up on Shrek's land. He heads off to meet the Lord to demand their removal and ends up embarking on a quest for Farquaad. The Lord wants him to find him a Princess he can marry and so become a King.

Talk or I eat your head

Shrek is accompanied by Donkey (Murphy), the fun character of the film, full of sassy lines but too reminiscent of Murphy's previous animation encounter - Mushu in Mulan.

The film takes broad swipes at Disney wherever it can. Indeed it's a case of spot the Walt character as the three little pigs, Pinocchio, seven dwarves and Snow White all make appearances. Lord Farquaad lives in a palace which looks and sounds like a Disney theme park.

It's to be hoped the rival corporation takes this in good heart because all the elements add to a film which really has so many memorable moments. There's an hilarious torture scene involving the gingerbread man and a Blind Date spoof where the Lord chooses which princess he'd like to marry.

Oh, and there's a dragon in the film as well

Even our own Robin Hood gets to star, although for some reason with a French accent, and he's soundly defeated by a martial arts kicking Princess Fiona (Diaz).

Oh, and there's a nice message for us all to think about. Beauty isn't everything, there's something wonderful about us all, however we look.

Shrek fever is set to grip the nation and rightly so.