By emma hynes
Shrek is a comfort movie unlike any other – the comedy, music and style of the films are easy to recognize even today. Recently, there has been an uproar following the release of a teaser for the first movie from the franchise in 15 years.
Fans are making a lot of judgments about the new film based on a very short cast announcement posted to YouTube by Universal Pictures on Feb. 27.
Its since been a big topic of discussion for movie lovers. The video, which unsurprisingly has turned off the capability for viewers to comment, says a whole lot about the direction of the new film.
The tried and true animation style of those who grew up with the grouchy ogre has seemingly been switched out for the preferences of younger audiences who are accustomed to a different animation style.
Some fans are defending the new movie, taking to the comment sections to keep hope alive. There are even those vilifying others for attacking the sequel, which clearly is trying to keep up with the times.
For now, it’s unclear if Shrek 5 backlash will cause DreamWorks to redesign the animation style – but the world is certainly paying attention.
So, why does Shrek 5 look vastly different from all the rest of the movies? It, of course, was no accident.
DreamWorks first began using a different animation style in 2022 for a spinoff, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Following in its footsteps, the upcoming movie seems to be made from a different animation engine developed by DreamWorks, known as MoonRay.
In addition to the Shrek 5 backlash from the redesigned animation style, some fans are not stoked about the plot details revealed in the teaser.
It has some fans wondering if producers are pandering too aggressively towards younger audiences to stay relevant. Although time has obviously passed in the narrative, maybe things are just too different.
Prior movies have made references to pop culture, for example celebrities and even nods to popular brands in Shrek 2, but are the latest changes too much to retain the original audience?