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Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here for the May edition of their movie retrospectives. This month they’re talking about Shrek for its 20th anniversary.
Shrek opened in theaters on May 18, 2001. It is an animated comedy, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and based on a picture book by William Steig. It stars Mike Myers (Bohemian Rhapsody) as an irritable ogre named Shrek.
In the film Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz, Vanilla Sky) from a dragon. This is in exchange for the deed to his swamp, where Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow, Interstellar) has forcibly relocated the land’s fairytale creatures. Joining Shrek on his journey is Donkey (Eddie Murphy, Coming 2 America), a unique jackass with the ability to talk. But unbeknownst to Shrek, Donkey, and Farquaad, there is more to Princess Fiona than there appears.
The film was a hit with critics and moviegoers alike. It grossed $484 million worldwide on a $60 million budget. It was nominated at the Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Animated Feature, winning the latter, which was a new category that year. Shrek has since gone on to spawn multiple sequels, a theme park ride, and even a Broadway musical. The Library of Congress added the film to the National Film Registry in 2020, a first for an animated feature not produced or distributed by Disney.
Josh and Aaron talk about how the movie fits into their childhood before breaking down its plot, characters, humor, and computer animation. The brothers also go into the film’s long production history and legacy.
For another animated DreamWorks film, listen to Aaron and Josh talk about The Road to El Dorado.
Shrek is streaming on Hulu.
