It’s odd to recognize it as such, considering what one may assume upon viewing it at first glance, but Shrek is undeniably one of the most significant touchstones of our modern film culture. What was once a film quite literally spawned out of pure spite for the Disney corporation turned into a mega franchise with three sequels, a spinoff film series, and a brand that would soon become the essential mascot of the entire DreamWorks animation studio.
Shrek’s legacy, however, has grown far beyond just the film franchise itself, with the Gen-Zers who grew up with the onion-loving ogre now turning him into an internet meme of extreme proportions. It’s to the point where the franchise’s upcoming Shrek 5 (2027) seems to be aware of its meme-ability based on its early teaser. This weekend marks 25 years since everyone’s favorite green ogre first grew his swamp roots in 2001, and looking back on all that’s occurred since then, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what Shrek, the character and the brand, is ultimately known for.
What is the quality of its films? Are the memes forming a life of their own? How about the fact that some of the movies were never that good in the first place? The answer always varies when you ask, “What exactly is Shrek’s legacy, 25 years later?”
Glancing back at where it all began with the original film, it’s a clear example of lightning in a bottle, the magic of capturing the zeitgeist of what many wanted out of an animated film. The early 2000s in animation were a time when the classic age of Disney’s 2D animation was fading, and Pixar’s 3D dominance was the next big thing .
DreamWorks was just beginning to hop on the train after its inception in 1994, but it still frequently played with a mix of traditional animated films like The Prince of Egypt (1998) while also balancing 3D animated and acquired stop-motion films like their A Bug’s Life (1998) knock-off Antz (1998) and Aardman-produced acquisition Chicken Run (2000).
Shrek‘s release wasn’t just a shockwave that changed the inner workings of the animated studio but also the entire industry. The film was such a hit that it won the first-ever award for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars over Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001) that same year, alongside its hefty total of $484 million at the box office. The question of “How exactly did they pull it off?” The answer differs from each person you ask, but simply put, Shrek’s existence is nothing short of a miracle.
What was first a project built on the anger of former company head Jeffrey Katzenberg became an animated film that took on a life of its own, with witty satirical spoofs of fairy tales and pop culture, while retaining a heartfelt core that captured the love of audiences worldwide. At the time, describing the story of an ogre trying to retain his peace by rescuing a princess seems like the kind of project most mainstream studios would turn away from. Still, the brashness of Shrek’s dialogue and the singular nature of its story structure created a film that was the complete reverse of what most Disney and animated films in general were known for, while also capturing a similar familial core just as well, if not better than any of them could.
Being unconventional can be a great way to help your animated film stand out, but directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson knew that there was a special underdog message here. The beauty that lies within oneself, evident in both the film and the characters of Shrek and Fiona, would give the movie the legs it needed to last beyond its edginess, which it’s now best known for. With the iconic performances of Shrek’s Scottish accent from Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy’s kinetic energy in performing the wise-cracking antics of Donkey, and the badass but gentle sides to Fiona voiced beautifully by Cameron Diaz, the film found its crackling spark. It gave a film that depended solely on the weight of its iconic dialogue just what it needed to storm the world.
Shrek’s humor and many juvenile jokes may not connect with all viewers, but most everyone can agree it was the kind of animated film that, beyond its iconic Smash Mouth needle drops, was completely fresh to the medium.
Shrek’s success naturally spawned imitators ranging from rival films that similarly played with unconventional stories featuring fairy-tale characters, like Hoodwinked! (2005), to attempts within DreamWorks itself to retain the not-your-average-protagonist type story with Shark Tale (2004). Of course, nothing would compare to the immense growth the franchise Shrek would have over its 25+ years of existence, for better and for worse.
You could describe the Shrek sequels best by the fact that each one of them is well aware of the quality of what they’re following up, to varying degrees of success. Shrek 2 (2004) is easily the most successful of the bunch, with a strong case for it being as good if not better than the highs of the original. Shrek 2 offers twice as much as what made the first movie work so well. It has even sharper satirical humor that cleverly satirizes culture, even more surprisingly nuanced insights into the relationship between Fiona’s parents, and one of the most exhilarating climaxes ever crafted in an animated film, fully bolstered by Jennifer Saunders‘ show-stopping performance as the Fairy Godmother. It’s not quite as truly special as the surprise that was the first film, but it’s nearly everything a great sequel should be.
Shrek the Third (2007) and Shrek Forever After(2010), however, are certainly more shaky in their execution, to say the least. Shrek the Third, in particular, is when the entire franchise’s reputation sank from beloved to just another kids-centric series of films, given its lazy cash-grab nature. Forever After certainly captures a unique angle by flipping the dynamics of everything we knew about Shrek on its head, but it has its own share of hiccups within its alternate-universe story. It doesn’t have much behind it, but at least it was an interesting epilogue to the film series.
This era and beyond, however, is more notable for making Shrek more of a joke than it ever was before, with Shrek memes and the popularity of the original two films having a deep connection to many Gen Z viewers who grew up with them. The Shrek franchise now stands in an interesting place; the visual splendor and darker subject matter of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) have seemingly reinvigorated the film series, with a fifth Shrek film currently set for June 30, 2027.
After all this deliberation, the answer to Shrek’s legacy seems to be many things, and that is the point. Shrek, no matter its meaning to an individual, is an unequivocal enigma of the culture that first emerged 25 years ago. It was bold against the trends of recent animation while retaining a center that makes it relatable across multiple generations. I guess you can say, like ogres and onions, the legacy of Shrek has countless layers, and they’re still being discovered to this day as a landmark that will never be recreated.
Retrospective Courtesy of Joshua Mbonu
Feature Image Credit to Dreamworks & Universal Pictures