Shrek Retold

Shrek Retold is what it says on the tin: A collaborative low-budget fan remake of the first Shrek movie.

In that sense, being able to coordinate 200 fans to put together a feature length film on a shoestring budget is no easy feat, and that on its own is worth praising. The quality of each segment varies drastically, ranging from meme-worthy shitpost to live action to genuinely well-made animation of a variety of different styles. While some segments aren't that good, they're worth getting through to get to some genuine heartfelt moments where the passion these creators have for the original film shines through.

While Shrek has become a meme at this point in time, it's worth remembering that the film itself still holds up very well as a parody of Disney and fairy tale movies, and as this remake uses the original script (almost) word-for-word, that story still carries through. I wouldn't recommend this film as a replacement of the original though, as several of the more 'low-effort' segments of the remake don't do a good job of replacing the respective scenes they're remaking, with strange changes to the story that create inconsistencies with the plot (I'm especially thinking of the vlog segment near the beginning of the third act).

All of the soundtrack has also been remade, with the score being reorchestrated in a fun lo-fi way. Some of the covers of the songs used are genuinely good, both Hot Dad's cover of "I'm a Believer" and the beginning's folky cover of 'All Star' are unique interpretations of the original songs.

Overall, if you're a fan of Shrek, memes and collaborative art, this film is definitely worth watching. I watched it in pieces rather than all at once because some segments did drag a little, but even then I cannot deny how fun, crazy and genuine this fan remake is.

With animation of all styles, an anime battle, music restyling, and many men painted green, you are guaranteed to love some parts and cringe at others. The anime battle is amazing.

Was hyped for Shrek Retold since the trailer was passed around on Twitter, mostly because the concept of over 200 content creators remaking a movie high in meme culture sounds amazing. It sounded like beautiful irony.

What shocked me most was Shrek Retold works as a movie on its own. It's not always great nor coherent as you'd expect for such a huge collaboration, but more often than not it works and makes for an entertaining, funny, bizarre, and weirdly heartfelt recreation. Kinda like the original Shrek (insert think emoji).

All the song covers from the original movie are great, uplifting, catchy, and fit snuggly in their place. An indie version of All Star is an immediate strong point for some truly talented musicians involved.

Animations range from (intentionally) (okay, m o s t l y) crappy to impressive in a heartbeat, which gives off a slight schizophrenic tone. This could be a problem and there are times were a few animators throw in painful, unfunny jokes to enhance Shrek's meme status but again, most are so much fun to look at, reinterpreting original scenes in creative and interesting ways. All the art styles are unique in their own weird ways.

Live action segments are the weak point here, especially a satirical vlogging scene that goes nowhere and ruins the flow. Maybe it's because of limitations compared to animation but they feel less lively. But there's still credit where credit's due: Sadworld's part is very funny and a particular scene with Donkey and Fiona is really well acted and made. There was real heart poured into an already great scene.

I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed this on a critical view. It's sincere enough to not delve too deep into tryhard meme status but the bizarre segments are mostly funny on their own, too. It comes together very well thanks to the content creators involved, and I couldn't be thankful for more.

The fact that hundreds of people come together to create something out of pure love and passion is so heart warming. This movie is a must watch, this is one of humanities greatest achievements.

Let's address the main focal point here: over 200 fantastic, creative, ambitious people, combined of all ages, huddled together and decided to contribute into making an hour and a half long Shrek-inspired movie of their own. What's great about this movie is that it's not a direct copy of Shrek itself, rather a creative retelling. Visually, you will find plenty of similarities to the original as well as differences, and even music, audio, and actors will shift rapidly, almost endlessly. One moment, things might be in fantastic quality, and the next, you're watching the most hilariously poor quality movie portion you've ever seen. But don't let me describe all the pros to you, its worth watching to see for yourself. Consider it a comedy, and don't take it too seriously to begin with, and I'm confident you'll love it!