Summary
- A close look at the 2008 AFI list reveals that Shrek, a non-Disney movie, ranked among the top 10 animated films, proving that greatness in animation does not always require the Disney tag.
- Shrek broke the mold in 2001 by presenting a fantastical tale that resonated with both children and adults, defying traditional narrative structures and subverting fairy tale tropes.
- Recent box office trends show that while Disney has struggled with underperforming films, the Shrek franchise, particularly the spin-off Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, has been successful in driving revenue and attracting audiences.
A 15-year-old poll proves that a $500 million hit animated movie will continue giving Disney a run for its money. Disney is undeniably the most popular animation studio, often dominating the animated feature categories in award functions and raking in some of the biggest box office numbers. Although the studio's numbers have slightly dwindled in recent years, it is still hard not to associate the medium of animation, especially when it comes to feature films, with Disney. However, despite Disney's stronghold on the movie genre, a non-Disney movie franchise has consistently defied all expectations and ranked among the greatest animated films.
The American Film Institute (AFI) curates several reliable top 10 lists that walk through the best movies of a given genre. AFI also created a rundown in 2008 for animated feature films, highlighting the best movies of the genre (via AFI). At first glance, there is nothing surprising about the list since each entry has rightfully earned its place in the top 10 rundown. However, a closer look at it proves that the non-Disney movie under consideration is one of a kind, single-handedly giving all Disney movies some stiff competition.
Shrek Was The Only Non-Disney Movie On AFI's 2008 Best Animated Films Poll
In AFI's rundown of the Top 10 animated films, Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ranks at number one, which is not surprising given how the film has its name etched in history books as Disney's first animated feature film and also the first full-fledged traditionally animated movie. Speaking of Disney, the list also has a recurring trend where nearly every movie has been produced by the renowned media company. This makes Shrek, ranking at 8 in the AFI list, an outlier because it was not produced by Disney but by DreamWorks. Disney's domination of the animation category makes complete sense, but Shrek's involvement in the list proves that not every animated movie has to carry the Disney tag to achieve greatness.
Why Shrek Was Such A Massive Hit In 2001
Shrek premiered during a time when animated movies were, by default, associated with a younger audience. Disney, too, targeted children with its movies, which made the studio's films profitable but not enjoyable for older viewers. Shrek effectively broke out of this mold and redefined the animation genre by presenting a fantastical tale that dealt with universal themes surrounding inner beauty and societal standards. Its themes resonated with everyone, allowing adult audiences to enjoy it as much as the younger ones. Even the humor in Shrek was carefully crafted in such a way that it appeared multi-layered and accessible to almost every age group.
Instead of treading the same path as Disney's animated movies of the time and adopting tried and tested narrative structures, Shrek defied the norm by subverting fairy tale tropes. Instead of being too preachy about what it wanted to achieve with these subversions, the movie playfully took a jab at the archetypes of most traditional narratives by ingeniously wrapping them in absurdity. Shrek further rose to fame after its release when it became the first movie to win an Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature category. The film was so successful upon its release that it also established DreamWorks as a worthy rival for Pixar.
Apart from creative decisions and accolades, even the casting choices in Shrek contributed to its success. The movie's voice cast was led by Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Cameron Diaz, who not only added more depth and charisma to their respective characters' arc with their performances but also brought star power to the film. Even the music in Shrek broke the movie conventions of the time. Instead of featuring original tracks, the movie breathed new life into existing songs by featuring them with relevant scenes in its storyline. Owing to this, even Shrek's music is still ed 22 years after its release.
Universal's Shrek Franchise Is Still Winning At The Box Office When Disney Struggles
Shrek may rank below seven Disney films in the AFI list, but the franchise's recent trends prove its impact extends above and beyond its rankings. While Disney movies like Turning Red and Lightyear had underwhelming box office numbers in 2022, incurring losses to the studio, Shrek's spin-off Puss in Boots: The Last Wish became a sleeper hit. Driving a worldwide box office of over $480 million, Puss in Boots 2 was among the ten highest-grossing movies of 2022. Puss in Boots 2's positive critical ratings proved that Disney may have a strong hold over the monopoly of the animation film industry, but the Shrek franchise still has all the right ingredients to draw audiences and drive revenue.
Sources: AFI
