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Shrek 5’s Animation Is So Real, It’s Unreal(ly Bad)

Uh, oh! We were definitely not looking for this! Universal has dropped the cast announcement clip for its highly anticipated Shrek 5. But boy, oh boy! We did not expect it to turn out this horribly! And fans seem to agree with our sentiment as well.

The clip opens with Eddie Murphy’s Donkey asking the Magic Mirror who is the fairest between him and Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers). The Mirror presents a picture-perfect physique of Shrek, which doesn’t sit well with the rest of his family—except Fiona (Cameron Diaz). We also find out that Zendaya has voiced Felicia, who happens to be Shrek’s daughter.

Here’s the cast announcement clip of Shrek 5! Watch it! 

Now that you have watched the clip, you must have gotten some sort of idea why people are so pissed off about the character appearances and animation style of Shrek 5. The old Shrek movies lacked the latest technologies, and their animation style was a lot simpler than what we get in the latest entry.

Shrek 5 definitely incorporates elements of photorealistic animation, which, despite all these years, is still struggling to find a place in viewers’ hearts. One of the biggest criticisms photorealism in animated movies has received in recent years is its inability to establish an emotional connection between viewers and characters.

Moreover, some viewers feel that photorealism sacrifices the artistic and stylized qualities that make animation unique. They prefer the exaggerated expressions and creative freedom found in traditional or stylized animation, which is why many people have called Shrek 5’s animation style “off” or “weird.”

This is not the first time DreamWorks has experimented with new animation technologies. For instance, the animation style in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish looked more “3D” compared to the original entry.

While people did not mind this substantial change in the sequel, as Puss is not as prominent as Shrek, the photorealistic animation in Shrek 5 will surely provoke a much more polarised response, given that the protagonist has been an important part of many viewers’ childhoods.

Here are some of the fans’ reactions to the new animation style in Shrek 5!

This scenario has led a large portion of the Shrek fanbase to pressure Universal and DreamWorks to do what Paramount did with Sonic. Apparently, Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) received unanimous condemnation for the protagonist’s controversial design. The criticism was so severe that it eventually forced Paramount to listen to the fans and make the character more animated while reducing the amount of photorealism used.

Movie technology has evolved, pushing animation towards greater realism. While this shift requires getting used to it, it’s important to remember that with Shrek 5 still a year out and only a brief teaser released, the final product could look quite different. Stay tuned for more updates. 

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