After 15 years from the fourth movie “Shrek Forever After,” a teaser was finally released for the fifth movie. The anticipation and excitement was quick to die down when fans were instantly disappointed when seeing the early 2000s animation was replaced with an unrealistic look. The older movies gave a more textured and slightly rougher look and now leave out the nostalgia factor of the movies. Because of this change, many people throughout different social media platforms started commenting opinions that were mostly the same—unhappy or predictable to the plot.
“This trailer feels like those fan-made YouTube edits that use old movie clips to create a fake trailer before the actual film is released” (@lisbon_voyage via Instagram).
“Let me guess…She is a rebellish girl, who wants to explore the world, but Shrek being the overprotective dad doesn’t let her go, but in the end he will become a better father” (@uxxi_b via TikTok).
“As someone who had the longest ‘Shrek’ obsession when I was younger, this hurts me physically” (@poetpanda via TikTok).
Some fans even pointed out that if the other four movies have the same animation, why change it now? This is something that I as well agree on. I always loved watching Shrek then and now because of the animation that they had. The realistic look made it fun to watch, and now it just seems like a typical movie.
Comments online were happening offline too. During a meet and greet at Universal Studios at Orlando, Donkey said, “Did you guys watch the new ‘Shrek’ trailer? I’m just saying I look rough. Donkey looks homeless. That’s why you always get final approval of all your film and movie rights.” When seeing the video, it brought a comedic effect to the disappointment of the release.
The same situation with the criticism happened with the 2019 “Sonic” movie, leading the director Jeff Fowler to announce there would be a change in animation. With “Shrek,” there are some viewers that do not mind the animation and mention that the movie does not come out until Dec. 23, 2026, leaving time for an animation change if needed. So, there can be hope for an animation change.
