The Anti-Disney Movie Ruling Over Netflix Is An All Time Classic

By Britta DeVore | Published

shrek

It’s never been better to be a Netflix subscriber as the streamer has been packing some serious heat as of late with films like Madame Web becoming available for subscribers. In the animated realm, there’s one green ogre who’s ruling the roost as Shrek has found itself amidst the platform’s Top 10 titles. DreamWorks Animation’s response to classic fairy tales and Disney films has worked its way into pop culture in more ways than one and is a must-watch while it’s available on Netflix whether it’s your first or thousandth time taking a trip to the swamp. 

Shrek The Ogre

shrek

In Shrek, Mike Myers voices the titular ogre who happily lives a life of peace and quiet, tucked away from the rest of the boisterous world in his beloved swamp. Already curmudgeonly, Shrek only becomes more so after his reclusive ways are shattered when a slew of unnerving fairy tale characters press in on his home turf.

These familiar characters find themselves in a bind after they’ve been kicked out of their kingdom by Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow), forced to travel to the faraway swamp as their only safe haven.

Shrek Is Forced Out Of Isolation

shrek

Disgruntled and more crabby than ever, Shrek decides to pay this Lord Farquaad a visit and ultimately strikes a deal with the tyrannical ruler that will give the ogre his land back if he rescues and delivers Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) back to the corrupt Lord.

Traveling across the land with his Donkey (Eddie Murphy) companion by his side, Shrek searches for Princess Fiona only to discover that she’s holding onto a dark secret that will change how he views the deal cut with Lord Farquaad.

Shrek Was A Massive Success

When the first film in the now full-on Shrek franchise dropped in 2001, the team over at DreamWorks proved that audiences were over watching your run-of-the-mill fairy tale that had been beaten to death by Disney. Featuring characters like Robin Hood, Gingerbread Man, and the Three Little Pigs, the movie puts a chaotically comical spin on the stories that we group up with as kids.

The movie’s box office domination only further proved that Shrek was here to stay as, during its theatrical run, the film raked in a whopping $492.2 million against its $60 million production budget.

Puss In Boots

With dollar signs in their eyes, the studio moved quickly to produce a sequel to Shrek, aptly titled Shrek 2, which stomped into cinemas in 2004 to much critical acclaim, followed by the less successful but still beloved Shrek the Third in 2007 and Shrek Forever After in 2010.

Seeing spin-off possibilities, the character Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) received his very own film in 2011 which would eventually land a sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, in 2022.

Shrek 5

DreamWorks has previously announced that a fifth installment in the Shrek franchise is on the way but details surrounding the movie and its production have been largely kept under wraps. For now, you can head over to Netflix to hear the soothing sounds of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz giving a voice to three of the most lovable animated characters of all time in Shrek.