Shrek Reviews: Our Verdict on Every Film

Cinvibe ranks the six Shrek films as Shrek 2, Shrek (2001), Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Shrek Forever After, Puss in Boots (2011) and Shrek the Third, and every verdict is opinion. If you are choosing tonight's film, I would start with Shrek (2001) and follow it with Shrek 2 the same weekend. The wider list is on Shrek movies ranked.

Yes, in my opinion Shrek (2001) is a good movie, and the reason is the friendship at its center more than the fairy tale jokes. Shrek (2001), directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, follows a grumpy ogre who likes living alone in his swamp until fairy tale creatures, banished by Lord Farquaad, move onto his land. Mike Myers voices Shrek, Eddie Murphy plays the talkative Donkey, Cameron Diaz is Princess Fiona and John Lithgow is Farquaad. One production detail stands out: Chris Farley had recorded most of Shrek's lines before his death, and the producers restarted with Myers and his Scottish accent, according to CBS News. For the adult who grew up on it, the film still plays best as a road trip about two unlikely companions.

Shrek (2001) was a hit, earning about $490 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. The sequel did far better: Shrek 2 (2004), directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, grossed about $933 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, per Box Office Mojo, the biggest total in the series. The Numbers lists a lower budget of $50 million for Shrek (2001). Every film in the series cleared its budget by a wide margin, and the full table is on Shrek box office.

Shrek 2 is the best film in the series, in my opinion, because it turns the love story into a family comedy. Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon to an invitation from her parents in Far Far Away, and King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) are shocked to find that their daughter and her husband are both ogres. Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) wants Fiona to marry her son Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), and Antonio Banderas arrives as the character Puss in Boots. The film played in competition at Cannes on 15 May 2004, according to Euronews, and its soundtrack includes Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows and Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler. Read more on the Shrek 2 page.

Shrek (2001) ranks second, behind Shrek 2, because its friendship story is stronger than its fairy tale jokes. The full reasoning sits on the Shrek (2001) page.

Shrek the Third (2007), directed by Chris Miller, is the weakest of the four main films, though it is far from a wasted afternoon. King Harold dies, Shrek has no wish to be king, and he sets off with Donkey and Puss to find Fiona's cousin Artie (Justin Timberlake) while Prince Charming gathers the fairy tale villains. The cast is too large, so the relationships that carried the earlier films get less room. See Shrek the Third.

Shrek 4, officially Shrek Forever After, is good, and I think it is better than its reputation. Shrek Forever After (2010), directed by Mike Mitchell, finds Shrek a settled family man with Fiona and three ogre babies, missing the days when people feared him. After losing his temper at his children's birthday party he meets Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who offers him one day as a real, frightening ogre in exchange for a day from his past, and Shrek agrees without reading the fine print. The premise gives Mike Myers something different to play, and the ensemble includes Jon Hamm and Jane Lynch. It suits parents and older children more than toddlers. See Shrek Forever After.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the better of the two spinoffs, and I would place it third in the whole series. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022), directed by Joel Crawford, begins with Puss (Antonio Banderas) learning after a near fatal accident that he has only one of his nine lives left. He hides in a cat lady's home, then leaves to find a wishing star while a hooded wolf (Wagner Moura) stalks him and Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and Jack Horner (John Mulaney) chase the same prize. Its painterly fairy tale look began with an idea from Nate Wragg, according to Syfy, and it is the longest film in the series at 103 minutes. See Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Puss in Boots (2011) is the weaker of the two spinoffs, a lively caper with a western flavor that stands on its own as a story. Directed by Chris Miller, it follows Puss as a wanted outlaw who tries to steal magic beans from Jack and Jill, meets the cat burglar Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault) and has to team up with his childhood friend Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Guillermo del Toro served as executive producer and voices the Comandante, per Syfy. I would call it a solid, slightly lighter outing than the sequel. See Puss in Boots (2011).

Yes, Shrek (2001) and the other five films are generally suitable for a four year old with a grown up nearby, because all six are rated PG in the US, which means parental guidance is suggested. The UK rates five of the six films U, with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish at PG, and Australia rates all six PG. I rely on those official ratings rather than inventing my own. As a practical step, parents of sensitive four year olds may want to preview the dragon guarded castle in Shrek (2001) and the hooded wolf in The Last Wish before a family screening.

Start with Shrek (2001) and watch Shrek 2 next. Those first two films are the best fit for a mixed age family. If you grew up on these films, try Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Shrek Forever After as a pair. For the sequence, use Shrek movies in order, and for the series overview see Shrek movies. Shrek 5 is scheduled for June 30, 2027, according to Variety, and the latest status is on the Shrek 5 page.