Does “Shrek 2” Stand the Test of Time?

Shrek says ogres are like onions, but does this cult-classic possess the layers necessary to remain relevant today? Hundred Tomatoes seeks to unpeel this question.

Disclaimer: For those who prefer the destination over the journey, you can scroll down to the very bottom to find the answer to this question, along with a “TL;DR” synopsis as to how we reached our verdict.

Twenty-six years ago, a film about an angry ogre who wanted to build a wall around his swamp and kick out all the fairy tale creatures only to fall in love with a princess with the help of a talking Donkey took the world by storm. Its unique twist on the typical fairy tale, coupled with a top tier soundtrack, witty, layered writing, and a star-studded voiceover cast injected a level of creativity into the world of cinema that people could not help but fall in love with.

Few, if any movies possess the ability to make millennials collectively lose their minds more than Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson’s, “Shrek”. To this day, twenty-four years later, people (not just me, I swear) still proudly quote one-liners from that film at social events and occasionally reference its soundtrack. For any aspiring DJs out there wanting to get a party full of young(ish) adults to lose all semblance of bodily functions, all it takes is one play of the absolute catnip of a banger, “All Star” by Smash Mouth. I guarantee you will own the venue by the end of the night after that. The Smash Mouth version of “I’m a Believer” would also do the trick most likely.

The first “Shrek” hypnotized an entire generation in a way not often seen in the movie world, especially not these days with the sheer inundation of content out there. However, just when people thought it could not get crazier, “Shrek 2” took a giant gingerbread man to the gates of consumerism, and broke down all kinds of barriers at the box office. It received over $900 million globally, more than doubling the total of the first one, making it the tenth largest money-making film of the 2000s. As of today, The Shrek franchise has grossed over $4 billion globally, making it the second-highest-grossing animated film franchise (behind Despicable Me) and the 17th highest-grossing film franchise of all time.

Before we delve into the details of this film, I HAVE to mention “Far Far Away Idol”, a feature on the Shrek 2 DVD that cashed in on the craze of “American Idol”. It featured Simon Cowell roasting many of the cheesy performances from the Shrek extended universe characters. I hate to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon, but this show was clearly RIGGED. You would vote on who you thought deserved to win, but unless you picked Shrek and Fiona, Puss in Boots, or Donkey, Simon would reject your decision, and claim he won.

I get why he would do that for some of the performances, but looking back on it, he owes the Three Blind Mice a serious apology. Their rendition of “We Can See Clearly Now” possesses a criminally underrated harmony that deserves more respect. I have never fought for anything in my entire life, I am fighting for the Three Blind Mice, and I will die on this hill.

To anyone reading from gen Alpha: A DVD is something we used to buy or rent to watch a movie. They annoyed me because they would scratch, then start glitching at any given moment, jumping around to various parts of a movie with no rhyme or reason. It served as today’s equivalent of “buffering”, but worse. Anyone who claims they miss DVDs likely believes naively that “Far Far Away Idol” gave fair treatment to all the contestants.

Much like DVDs, sometimes fads in life are just that: fads. In many instances, we look back on former trends people bought into (baggy suits of the 90s, I’m looking at you) and wonder, “what were they thinking?” Some styles come across as if people perpetually put themselves into a drunken stupor for years on end, only to wake up one day with a brutal hangover and cringe at what they deemed popular during that time.

However, the beauty of filmmaking stems from the fact that a well-crafted plot possesses a level of universality that can resonate with an endless number of generations. On the other hand, sometimes movies shortsightedly try to cash in on the current trends of the time, overlooking the overarching story in exchange for empty gimmicks. Certain pieces of content from decades past come across as fads, while others remain steadfast in their storytelling prowess.

Due to the subjective nature of popularity, twenty-one years after its release, we need to take a step back and ask the following question: does “Shrek 2” stand the test of time? Does it truly possess the powerful layers that all the best onions, cakes and parfaits provide, or do those nasty ogre farts leave a shallow impression that never wades past the kiddie pool?

Also, it’s been twenty-one years since its release, so on the off chance you forgot the plot of “Shrek 2”, here is the overarching premise:

After returning from their honeymoon, Shrek and Fiona learn that her parents have heard that she has married her true love and wish to invite him to their kingdom, called Far Far Away. The catch is: Fiona's parents are unaware of their daughter’s husband, and have assumed she married Prince Charming, not a 700-pound ogre with horrible hygiene and a talking donkey pal.

Without further perspective, let’s get to this retrospective!

When it comes to sequels, in most cases, they fail to live up to the sky-high expectations set forth by the original. Despite that, those follow up films typically outperform their original counterparts at the box office. “Inside Out 2” made more than “Inside Out”, “The Empire Strikes Back” out earned “A New Hope”, and even “Avatar 2” surpassed the already astronomical numbers put up by the first “Avatar”. The list goes on and on, with “Shrek 2” almost DOUBLING “Shrek’s” revenue. We all know however, that money does not necessarily buy a better plot, so from a quality perspective, how does the sequel fare in this instance?

Right out the gate, I need to go all “Santa’s not real” on people and critique this film clearly made mostly for children. The character animations unfortunately show their age. Movements seem clunky; they do not gel completely with the scenery around them. For younger generations, I could totally see this preventing them from fully immersing into the film, although it only takes a little bit for the eyes to adjust to the janky nature of the various interactions before settling in. The art style intrigues, even if certain textures or animations do not seem fully developed, which helps make up for the outdatedness on this front. Rewatching this gives you a newfound appreciation for how far animated technology has come over the years.

Luckily, the soundtrack does not disappoint. Like the first one, it mixes a wide range of tunes during certain scenes, then purely orchestral riffs during the most sentimental, important moments. I love how all the songs they choose allude to the actual plot in some way, shape or form. They even incorporate a musical number that spoofs Disney songs nicely. The two final musical covers done by the characters themselves, “I Need a Hero” and “Livin’ la Vida Loca” add an element of drama and fun respectively that showcase the creativity behind the vision of this film. Movies seem to rarely make their characters sing covers these days, and “Shrek 2” reminds me that I miss this dynamic.

As a quick aside, those covers they did provided absolute ear cocaine for children. I remember some close family friends of mine broke their Shrek soundtrack CD (you’re on your own for this one Gen Alpha) because they played Donkey’s version of “I’m a Believer” approximately a bajillion times. I’m pretty sure they weren’t the only ones that did that, as my daycare I went to played the “Livin’ la Vida Loca” cover by Puss and Donkey at least eight billion times. Therein lies zero chance that that album did not get obliterated at some point. The aforementioned renditions still provide an enjoyable listening experience, but I can imagine some parents experience certain levels of PTSD when they hear these tunes.

Despite the “behind the times” animation, in an odd way, the comedic elements of this seem ahead of its time, almost as if the silly, slapstick style of humor in this paved the way for the modern-day Marvel quips we see today. “Shrek 2” does not take itself particularly seriously, throwing in out-of-pocket references to modern society, now outdated pop culture spoofs, such as a parody of the show “Cops” (remember that show?), Joan Rivers makes an appearance (remember her?) and several other references to other fairy tales or content outside their universe.

However, where “Shrek 2” gets it right where many modern movies get it wrong stems from their ability to lean into serious moments. A lot of writers today seem scared of making something too heartfelt, in fear of it coming across as cheesy. To overcompensate, they try to create elements of levity, which in turn undermine the entire scene.

In illustration of this point, I hate to pick on “The Fall Guy” because I find that movie fun to watch, but in this scene, Ryan Gosling’s character confesses his love to Emily Blunt, drops a great, romantic line, then completely RUINS it by going “is that from a movie or did I just make that up? It’s pretty good, you can use it if you want”. So many films these days feel the need to undo all the emotional investment given up to a certain point.

For the most part, “Shrek 2” avoids this trap nicely by letting sad moments be sad moments, and sappy romantic moments be sappy, romantic moments. That is not to say that they do not tease you with tension throughout the course of it, a trope we see often today. For example, in one scene, the evil fairly Godmother intensely interrogates the King as to why her son Prince Charming and Fiona are not married, but part way through, she stops at a drive through to awkwardly order food, then gets right back to it. This type of stuff seems like a modern day staple we see in movies all the time, but I do not recall it happening as much in films around the early 2000s or before. It plays with your emotions in a whimsical way when done properly.

Overall, I find the humor in “Shrek 2” hit or miss. A major portion of the silly slapstick humor clearly gears itself towards children, some of the quips do not land with me, but other times they get me thinking, “dang, that’s clever”. I could not help but laugh at the scene where they sneak into the fairy Godmother’s factory by getting a disgruntled employee to discuss their poor working conditions. Shrek going, “they don’t even have dental” in a faux outrage left me cackling.

Two elements of this film stand out positively in a big way: the characters, and the theme exploration.

Down the line, apart from a few instances, the main characters possess certain intriguing layers to them that leave you wanting to learn how their arcs will play out. Shrek and Fiona both possess an obvious love for one another, with both working hard to make one another happy despite massive differences in their upbringings. The sacrifices they both make by the end helps send a strong, positive message as to the importance of working to keep a marriage alive, even in times of intense strife.

All the supporting fairy tale creatures add unique aspects of whimsy that help propel the plot forward in a compelling way. You can tell the writers in this take more of a “character driven” approach to their screenplay as opposed to a “plot driven” one, as each character, no matter how minor, gets well fleshed out, with consistent, memorable, on brand actions from all of them. They even turn an obscure reference to “The Muffin Man” from the first movie into an important component in this one. These clever callbacks add to the entertainment value of it all.

The introduction of Puss in Boots in this also adds an extra level to Donkey’s character development, as it brings out his desire to want to act as the main “annoying talking sidekick”. The two play off each other well, giving multiple perspectives to various conflicts, while also providing utility to advance the plot in their own unique ways. How they go from mortal enemies to best friends comes across as abrupt, but all in all, I find both fun, yet sympathetic. Puss in Boots undergoes an admirable redemption arc as well, one that makes you understand his popularity that led to spin off movies about him.

The writers flesh out the villains in this marvelously. Prince Charming, while superficially appealing to society at the outset, showcases a level of childish entitlement that you instinctively want to root against. You can see why the kingdom of Far Far Away set forth this expectation that he marries Princess Fiona, while also understanding why Shrek ultimately fits better for her personally. They strike a nice balance, even if we see little to no competence or character development on his end.

The main villain, the Fairy Godmother, embodies everything you want in a quintessential evil person, and more. She presents a friendly façade that sucks people in, while secretly possessing an element of cunning to her that allows her to successfully manipulate others to her will. Her no-nonsense approach to getting her way creates an aura of hate able entitlement, yet also commands respect, creating a sense of urgency that gives the protagonists a genuine challenge. She clearly thinks through every element of her evil plan, much of which oozes a surprising amount of both intellectual and emotional intelligence. The payoff when they finally defeat her feels well earned, which I appreciate.

Easily the best character arc in this movie goes to King Harold, Princess Fiona’s Dad. The transformation he makes as he slowly realizes his wrongfully vindictive nature towards Shrek that occurs at the outset, which then prompts him to eventually make the ultimate sacrifice that reveals the deep seeded insecurities that drives his initial judgmental behavior warms the heart.

The way “Shrek 2” makes a commentary on the superficial, consumerist nature of the world intrigues, yet remains extremely relevant in today’s social media driven world. Too often, people face a ton of pressure to do everything possible to conform to societal standards. We want to fit in so badly, that in many cases, we make sacrifices to our true authentic selves, losing sight of who we truly are. In many ways, the film highlights how taking the easy way out and conforming gives people the opportunity to live their perceived “happily ever after”, but leaves many unfulfilled. It leads to outright nasty behavior, with people (like the Fairy Godmother) attempting to exploit this desire to avoid controversy, no matter the cost.

We see these pressures permeate throughout the various character and plot developments, making you reflect upon how difficult it truly becomes to live your life with true authenticity. However, despite all these expectations pushing Shrek and Fiona away from one another, they, along with their surrounding circle, come to realize it takes courage, along with a deep understanding/love for one another to avoid caving in to toxic societal pressures. This positive message behind “Shrek 2” to work towards sticking to your true self deserves to be shouted from the rooftops moreso today than even back then.

Overall, certain elements of “Shrek 2” land beautifully, while others fall flat. With that in mind, let’s reveal the answer Internet less grandmothers worldwide have been waiting for:

Does “Shrek 2” stand the test of time?

The Verdict: Yes, for the most part.

Tl;DR Synopsis: Despite outdated character animations and some comedic elements that fall flat, “Shrek 2” delivers in spades when it comes to telling a layered, heartfelt, and surprisingly insightful story with well-rounded characters, giving us protagonists you cannot help but root for, and villains you respect, but cannot help but despise.

Hundred Tomatoes Score: 76/100

In case you were wondering, here are the Top 10 Highest Grossing Films of the 2000s, and where Hundred Tomatoes stands of them. “Shrek 2” is the first retrospective of the series, so the rest are TBD on whether they stand the test of time.

10. Shrek 2 - Yes to standing the test of time for the most part - 76/100

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

4. The Dark Knight

3. Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

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