đŹ Shrek (2001)

Chaos and Chuckles: Shrek Unleashes Andrew Adamsonâs Ogre Odyssey
Shrek, released May 18, 2001, by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures, is a $60 million animated comedy that grossed $487 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo, a seismic hit loosely adapting William Steigâs 1990 book. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, with a script by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S.H. Schulman, it stars Mike Myers as Shrek, an ogre rescuing Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) from Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Shot digitally over four years, its 90-minute runtime won the first Best Animated Feature Oscar.
The chaos rompsâogre swamps flood with fairy-tale rejects, Farquaadâs âPerfect worldâ crumbles in a dragonâs lair, per its $267 million domestic haul. Adamson and Jenson, DreamWorks newbies, flip Disneyâs polishâShrekâs âGet outta my swamp!â skewers Beauty and the Beast with Toy Storyâs edge. Chuckles reignâDonkeyâs âYouâre so wrapped up in layers,â Shrekâs âOgres are like onionsââgoofy glee amid quests, per Varietyâs âhilarious.â Critics embraced it; Rotten Tomatoes hit 88%, Metacritic 84/100, with LA Timesâs Kenneth Turan calling it âa blast.â X posts since 2020 bray âDonkeyâs king,â though some shrug âdated gags.â
The pacingâs a gallopâShrekâs mud bath races to Fionaâs tower, a âHallelujahâ twist slowing the romp, per Hollywood Reporter. Cannes 2001 cheered its debut, its $60 million budget fueling PDIâs CGI and a pop-heavy soundtrack, per The Numbers, topping Pearl Harborâs summer buzz. Itâs Adamsonâs odysseyâchaos with sass, chuckles amid roarsâan ogre tale that flipped animationâs script.
The cast is Shrekâs fairy dust, a chaotic crew sparking its soul. Mike Myersâs Shrek grumblesâhis Scottish âThis is my swamp!â and âWhat are you doing in my house?â growl charm, per Empireâs âgruff.â Eddie Murphyâs Donkey chattersââIn the morning, Iâm making waffles!ââhis motormouth magic, per Roger Ebertâs âscene-stealer.â Cameron Diazâs Fiona flipsââIâm supposed to be rescued!ââher spunk a twist, per Variety. Their trioâogre, ass, princessâdrives the chaos, per Rolling Stone.
John Lithgowâs Farquaad sneersââSome of you may die, but itâs a sacrifice Iâm willing to makeââhis pint-sized tyranny gleeful, per LA Times. Chris Millerâs Magic Mirror quips, Vincent Casselâs Monsieur Hood swings. Chuckles soarâDonkeyâs âSheâs as nasty as you,â Shrekâs âThatâll do, Donkeyââweaving levity into farce, per The Guardian. NY Times hails âMurphyâs riot,â X posts cheer âMyersâs ogre,â though some snipe âFionaâs flat.â Theyâre the odysseyâs pulseâloud, loopy, lovable.v
Visually and sonically, Shrek is a chaotic carnival, an Adamson romp. Raman Huiâs animationâswamps ooze, Dulocâs plastic gleamsâpops, per Cinematography World. Chaos reignsâDragon chases, a bridge swaysâshot with $30 million CGI, per Forbes. Ogre farts, fairy-tale brawls dazzleâLetterboxdâs âvibrantââthough Collider flags âearly CGIâ in 2025 eyes. Adamsonâs Chronicles of Narnia roots craft a grimy whimsy, per AV Clubâs âfresh.â
John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williamsâs scoreâpipes trill, âFionaâs Themeâ humsâlifts, per Soundtrack World. Sound designâbelches echo, swords clangâgrips, per Rolling Stoneâs âlively.â Chuckles boomâDonkeyâs âPick me!ââamid chaos, per BBC vibe. Pop hitsââAll Star,â âIâm a Believerâârock, per Variety. Flaws? CGI creaksâNY Timesâs âblockyââand scoreâs light, per The Guardian. Still, itâs a sensory bashâvisuals and sound an ogre anthem that bounces.
Shrekâs strength is its chaotic cheekâa fairy-tale takedown with heart. Myersâs âcrustyâ Shrek (Time), Murphyâs zip, and Diazâs fire shine; Roger Ebert gave 4/4 for âirreverent joy.â Stakesâswamp reclaimed, love wonâtickle, per Empireâs âsmart.â ChucklesâFarquaadâs âRunty little king,â Shrekâs âNot the gumdrop buttons!ââlift a 2001 summer post-Mummy Returns, per Box Office Mojo. Its $487 million haul dwarfed Atlantisâs $186 millionâX posts still hum âSwamp vibesââspawning Shrek 2, per Forbes.
Weaknesses nibble. The 90-minute runtime rushesâVarietyâs âtightââand sidekicks thin, per LA Times. Jokes dateâMetacriticâs 84/100 flags âcrudeââand romance sags, per NY Times. Still, it grips; Rolling Stoneâs âclassicâ fits 8.5/10âchaotic, chuckle-packed, charming. Legacy? A DreamWorks titanâsequels, Puss in Boots, per The Numbers. For kids or meme lords, itâs a must; an odyssey that ogres on.