Shrek (2001)
Shrek is a 2001 animation movie directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, with a running time of 1h 30m. It stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz.
An ogre named Shrek wants only his swamp and his solitude. Lord Farquaad ruins both, dumping every banished fairy-tale creature onto Shrek's land, so the green grump strikes a bargain: clear out the squatters by rescuing Princess Fiona from a dragon-guarded tower. A motormouthed Donkey attaches himself to the quest and refuses to leave. DreamWorks built its house on this movie, mixing storybook sweetness with pop songs, sight gags, and a sly streak that pokes fun at Disney convention. Under the belching and the wisecracks sits a real story about who gets called a monster.
Quick answers
What is Shrek about?
An ogre named Shrek wants only his swamp and his solitude. Lord Farquaad ruins both, dumping every banished fairy-tale creature onto Shrek's land, so the green grump strikes a bargain: clear out the squatters by rescuing Princess Fiona from a dragon-guarded tower. A motormouthed Donkey attaches himself to the quest and refuses to leave. DreamWorks built its house on this movie, mixing storybook sweetness with pop songs, sight gags, and a sly streak that pokes fun at Disney convention. Under the belching and the wisecracks sits a real story about who gets called a monster.
When was Shrek released?
Shrek was released on 18 May 2001.
How long is Shrek?
Shrek runs 1h 30m.
Who made Shrek?
Shrek was directed by Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson and Harry Gregson-Williams.
Where can I watch Shrek?
Shrek is available on Peacock, Peacock Premium, Amazon, AppleTV and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Shrek
Stream: Peacock, Peacock Premium
Rent: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Official site
Cast
- Mike Myers as Shrek / Blind Mouse (voice)
- Eddie Murphy as Donkey (voice)
- Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona (voice)
- John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad (voice)
- Vincent Cassel as Monsieur Hood (voice)
- Peter Dennis as Ogre Hunter (voice)
- Clive Pearse as Ogre Hunter (voice)
- Jim Cummings as Captain of the Guards (voice)
- Bobby Block as Baby Bear (voice)
- Chris Miller as Geppetto / Magic Mirror (voice)
- Cody Cameron as Pinnochio / Three Pigs (voice)
- Kathleen Freeman as Old Woman (voice)
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A few thoughts on Shrek
Fans of its fairy-tale mischief should try Fables, Bill Willingham's comic that drops storybook characters into a grimy modern city with the same affection and irreverence. The 2004 game Fable offers a comparable wink at fantasy tropes inside a proper adventure, comedic, British, and knowing about every cliche it plays with.
Fairy tale movies that mock their own tropes
Shrek turns Disney-style fairy tale convention inside out, banishing the pretty prince and putting a foul-mouthed ogre at the center of the romance. The Emperor's New Groove, The Swan Princess, and Revolting Rhymes crack the same self-aware jokes about castle life and happy endings, while the Fables comic imagines Snow White and the wolf sharing an apartment after their kingdoms fell, and Rainbow Brite brings the same mischievous storybook shine.
Fantasy games with dragons, quests, and a kingdom to save
Shrek's whole plot is a fantasy fetch quest: cross a swamp, brave a dragon, rescue a princess from a tower. Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Breath of the Wild put players through the same medieval errands, dragons included, while Fable leans into the same broad, self-aware humor about knights and kingdoms. Elden Ring and God of War trade the jokes for scale, but keep the tower-and-monster shape of the journey.
Books and movies where the 'monster' is secretly kind
Shrek spends its runtime asking who actually counts as a monster, and its ogre hero never is one. The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Redwall, and Charlotte's Web build the same warmth around creatures the world misjudges: a witch raising an abandoned child, fighting mice, a spider nobody expects to be kind. Skellig and My Father's Dragon carry the same gentle reveal about a stranger too quickly feared.
Fairy tales turned into slapstick cartoon adventures
Shrek folds a scavenger hunt of fairy tale references into the story, from the Big Bad Wolf to Pinocchio crashing at his swamp. Tom and Jerry's own feature films do the exact same trick, dropping the cat-and-mouse pair into the Wizard of Oz, Robin Hood's forest, and a beanstalk kingdom, while Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island and the DuckTales movie send their own mismatched crews chasing treasure through equally storybook settings.