I love Shrek 2 so much and believe that it’s a near-perfect sequel, so I almost forget it’s not the first. Because every time I think about rewatching and getting my strange Far Far Away fix, I immediately put on Shrek 2 instead of Shrek. Is it because I’m a cat mom and love Puss in Boots? Or is it because my younger brother and I obsessively played the PS2 game when we were younger, so I have an odd attachment to the sequel? Either way, I don’t know. But what I do know is that I legitimately can’t believe the original movie is 25 years old.
Shrek somehow feels much older than that—complimentary—and younger at the same time. Our first introduction to these characters feels familiar in such a distinct way that, based on our favorite of all the movies, so much of them also blurs together. This is actually what makes Shrek so incredible as a movie because it’s not every franchise where the following movies are just as good as the original. And while animation in the trailer for Shrek 5 looks wildly questionable, it’ll feature Zendaya, so I’ll be seated front and center.
Part of what makes the general story easy to appreciate is this idea that people, or in this case ogres, don’t need to change to be worthy of love. That universal message is exactly the kind of thing you’d expect in an animated feature, which is why it sticks the landing and leaves plenty of room to explore similar themes in the future as well. Pair the universally appealing message with a gorgeous production design and hilarious nods to the real world, and you get something legitimately thrilling from start to finish.
The characters then layer the story and add so much personality to the short runtime that you can’t help but appreciate it more with every viewing. It helps that the voice acting is also top-notch, and every respective actor ensures that we can feel the emotions they convey, but so much of Shrek’s appeal also lies in a screenplay that still holds up.
Part of the problem with a lot of the movies and TV shows from the early aughts is that they’re now unfortunately dated. But thankfully that isn’t the case with the DreamWorks classic, even if it’s not perfect. The emotional marriage with the comedy allows it to be both raw and clever, and there’s thankfully no joke that’s too crude or offensive without overtly making a statement on its problems. And that’s the most surprising detail because Shrek, by default, isn’t tamed. It’s not your average fairytale that’s palatable for all audiences. It’s incredibly niche in all that it tries to achieve.
In fact, on paper, Shrek could’ve easily been dismissed as too off-putting, yet that’s a huge part of its charm. It’s why it works years later and how it continues to be both memorable and genuinely good. In other words, 25 years after its release, Shrek is undoubtedly one of the best movies you can watch for hilarious beats and unbeatable heart in the kind of opening movie that effectively ushers you into a whole new world.
First Featured Image Credit: ©DreamWorks