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Shrek first came on in cinemas back in 2001, where it had an immediate impact on animation that has rippled out ever since.
You have to remember that before 2001, Disney dominated the big-budget animated films throughout the 1990s with hits like Aladdin, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. These followed a uniform fairy-tale formula with perfect heroes, princes, and princesses. Then, all of a sudden, came along a grumpy, green ogre.
Shrek came from the DreamWorks Animation Studio and was directed by both Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson. The film was based, very loosely, on the children’s book from 1990 by William Steig. The difference was that where the book had introduced the ogre character, the film expanded on this and added a host of characters to support him.
The Plotline
The film follows Shrek, an ogre who loves his swamp and wants to be left alone. When a tiny Tyrant, Lord Farquaad, banishes all the fairy tale creatures to the swamp, Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona for the Lord from a dragon- guarded tower.
On his quest, he is accompanied by an overenthusiastic donkey, and the quest becomes more complicated than anyone first imagined.
Why it stands out
One of the many reasons Shrek stood out was that it turned the traditional fairy tale upside down. Neither the hero nor the princess was what the audience expected, and the story poked fun at what were seen as fairy tale conventions.
Along with this, though, for me it was also a technological achievement for DreamWorks. Computer animation had advanced significantly during the late 1990s, but Shrek demonstrated how expressive digital characters could become. From Donkey’s facial expressions to the detailed textures of the swamp, audiences were seeing a new level of animated storytelling.
The film was one of the highest-grossing of 2001, establishing DreamWorks as a serious rival to Disney.
Although the title character is an ogre, Shrek quickly became one of animation’s most lovable heroes.
At first, he wants to be left alone. He dislikes visitors, avoids friendships and is happy living away from society. However, throughout the film we gradually discover that his grumpy behaviour comes from years of being judged because of his appearance. Mike Myers was a great choice for the voice here, and if you have seen him play the dad in So I Married an Axe Murderer, you will see where his voice training came in.
Donkey provides the perfect contrast. Loud, energetic and endlessly optimistic, he talks almost constantly. In many ways he acts as the heart of the story, helping Shrek realise that friendship can be worthwhile. Again, using Eddie Murphy was a stroke of genius as his up-tempo rhythm really nails Donkey’s persona.
Princess Fiona initially appears to be the traditional fairy tale princess waiting to be rescued. However, the film cleverly reveals there is much more to her character. Rather than simply being a damsel in distress, she is independent, capable and often far tougher than the people around her and again the voice of Cameron Diaz matches this perfectly for me.
Then there is Lord Farquaad. Despite being physically small, he attempts to control everyone around him. His obsession with creating a perfect kingdom serves as a humorous criticism of appearance-based judgement, something the film repeatedly challenges brilliantly.
Music
Shrek broke with tradition here too, shifting away from orchestral scores and favouring pop music, which really helped define its own personality. The opening use of Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’ instantly became iconic and remains closely associated with the movie over twenty years later.
The soundtrack (yes, it is available) includes classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Eels and Joan Jett, which really gave the film a contemporary feel that separated it from many earlier animated features.
The music really helps balance the comedy moments along with the genuine emotion. Music is a big part of the film for me and develops as the story of the friendship between the characters unfolds.
Merchandise
Shrek became a merchandise juggernaut, as was to be expected. If you could stick an ogre sticker on it, it was merchandised. Everything from lunchboxes to story books to video games. In the midst of all this, William Steig was paid $500,000 for the rights, and the films alone have grossed over $4bn…Good deal, bad deal?
Films
The success of the original film led to sequels and spin-offs, with Shrek 2 arriving in 2004; I bet you can’t guess what my post will be about next week :)
Further characters and films, such as Puss in Boots, were introduced, and holiday specials, television appearances, and several spin-off films have helped keep the franchise going.
Some would argue that the original is still the best, but for me, I love Eric Idle in Shrek the Third and how the characters have been developed over time.
Impact
Perhaps the biggest legacy of Shrek is the way it influenced animation.
Following its success, many studios embraced more self-aware humour and pop culture references in their family films. Characters became more flawed, stories became less traditional and animated movies increasingly aimed jokes at parents as well as children.
The film even won the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This was introduced in 2001 and recognises animation as a major filmmaking medium rather than simply children’s entertainment.
More than twenty years later, Shrek remains one of the most recognisable animated characters ever created, which is not bad for an ogre who just wanted everyone to stay out of his swamp.
Fun Facts
Shrek won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Chris Farley was originally cast as Shrek and recorded much of the dialogue before his death.
Mike Myers re-recorded more than 90% of his original dialogue when he switched to a Scottish accent.
Shrek became the first animated franchise to earn more than $ 1 billion at the global box office.
I hope that you enjoyed this as much as I did researching and writing it. Animated is public, so please feel free to share the cartoon love.
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