Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘Shrek’?

Shrek (2001)

tomatometer

89

Average Rating: 7.7/10
Reviews Counted: 176
Fresh: 156 | Rotten: 20

While simultaneously embracing and subverting fairy tales, the irreverent Shrek also manages to tweak Disney's nose, provide a moral message to children, and offer viewers a funny, fast-paced ride.

86

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Critic Reviews: 37
Fresh: 32 | Rotten: 5

While simultaneously embracing and subverting fairy tales, the irreverent Shrek also manages to tweak Disney's nose, provide a moral message to children, and offer viewers a funny, fast-paced ride.

audience

87

liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 1,275,418

My Rating

Movie Info

In this fully computer-animated fantasy from the creators of Antz, we follow the travails of Shrek (Mike Myers), a green ogre who enjoys a life of solitude. Living in a far away swamp, he is suddenly invaded by a hoard of fairy tale characters, such as the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, and Three Blind Mice, all refugees of their homes who have been shunned by the evil Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). They want to save their homes from ruin, and enlist the help of Shrek, who is in the same

PG, 1 hr. 29 min.

Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

,

Nov 2, 2001

$267.0M

Dreamworks

Cast

All Critics (176) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (164) | Rotten (20) | DVD (43)

This romantic fantasy complicates the roles of beauty and beast, making it hard to guess what form a sensitive resolution will take.

February 17, 2012 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

No one has ever made a funnier jackass of himself than Murphy.

September 1, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

What gives Shrek its special artistic distinction is its witty and knowingly sassy dialogue, delivered by vocally charismatic performers whose voices remind us of their stellar screen personae in live-action movies.

April 27, 2007 Full Review Source: New York Observer | Comment
New York Observer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The script, instead of being what we tolerate in order to savor the visuals, is a delight all by itself.

May 21, 2001 Full Review Source: New York Magazine | Comment
New York Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This is beautiful work.

May 18, 2001 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comments (2)
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

An exuberant Eddie Murphy gives the comic performance of his career.

May 18, 2001 Full Review Source: USA Today | Comment
USA Today
Top Critic IconTop Critic

animation is hardly groundbreaking

February 13, 2011 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | Comments (5)

Gross-out laughs meet a marvelous fairytale mix.

December 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

Though imperfect, "Shrek" offers enough diversions from animation's go-go-go that it's been sad - after lackluster third and fourth installments - to see the lovable green guy turn the way of impersonal franchise cash-grabbing.

October 1, 2010 Full Review Source: Suite101.com | Comment
Suite101.com

The only things it takes seriously are the notions of true love and beauty-is-only-skin-deep, good things for kids to soak up after they've had their fill of flatulence.

May 4, 2010 Full Review Source: East Bay Express | Comment
East Bay Express

Kids will love the plot, parents will love the jokes.

April 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | Comment
Cinema Crazed

Hugely entertaining, sassy and great-looking...

September 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

Unique brand of entertainment: Simple and straightforward in its textal surface, but sophisticated and witty in subtextual connotations, including racy barbs addressed at Disney, which until recently had monopoly on animation fare, but not anynmore.

May 3, 2007 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment

Shrek is amusing and charming and it stands on it's own, but it does not rival Disney's best and I'm not saying it needs to, but that simply is the bar.

September 27, 2006 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com | Comment
Bangitout.com

Gag by gag -- and there's a stream -- it's merrily irreverent, visually and vocally. The bigger picture, though, is rather more conventional.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment (1)

I seem to be the only one in the world unimpressed by this so-so animated feature.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comments (10)
Combustible Celluloid

Absolute perfection!

December 31, 2005 Full Review Source: Supercala.com | Comments (2)
Supercala.com

Bottom line: the story satisfies and the jokes avoid juvenile cliches.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment
Film Threat

What saves this movie are the performances by the actors, particularly Murphy and Myers.

September 30, 2005 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | Comment
Three Movie Buffs

Truth be told, it's damn enjoyable.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Comment
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

This double-disk set is a great buy for fans of Shrek.

January 15, 2005 Full Review Source: Fantastica Daily | Comment
Fantastica Daily

Shrek's pros outweigh its cons, making this overall a delightful and fun entertainment with a refreshingly honest message.

December 6, 2004 Full Review Source: Looking Closer | Comment
Looking Closer
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Shrek

Shrek is up there with the greatest animated films ever. It is an animated film that was everything a comedy and animated film should be, but I am serious, never before has a movie spoofed fairy tales and princess stories so well and it actually has a great deal of heart to it that made it just so better as well.

February 28, 2011
DreamExtractor
Brad Wright

Super Reviewer

SHREK is not just a family movie. It's a hilarious, wholesome take on the fairy tales that all of us have been familiar with since the age of three (or possibly even younger). And such a wonderful re-imagination became so beloved by both kids and grown-ups alike that three sequels were spawned to create a more

June 14, 2011
spielberg00
Alexander Diminiano

Super Reviewer

    1. Princess Fiona: [Repeated line] Hi-ya!
    – Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
    1. Shrek: This is the part where you run away.
    – Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
    1. Donkey: Oh, wow! That was REALLY scary!
    – Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
    1. Shrek: [Repeated line] ROAR!
    – Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)
    1. Donkey: I like that boulder. That is a nice boulder.
    – Submitted by Anthony A (2 months ago)

Latest News for Shrek

March 26, 2009:
Total Recall: The Best (and Worst) of DreamWorks Animation
"DreamWorks Animation SKG" isn't the type of studio name that suggests the sort of mystery and...

July 18, 2007:
Shrek Films To End At Five?
By now we've already heard that DreamWorks plans to have a fourth "Shrek" movie in theaters by 2010,...

What's Hot On RT

RT on DVD & Blu-Ray
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray

Puss in Boots and J. Edgar

Best of the Best!
Best of the Best!

50 best-reviewed Best Picture nominees

Best Animation
Best Animation

Ranking the 75 best animated movies ever!

Oscar Ballot
Oscar Ballot

Download the official PDF!

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 19,009 taken
created 13 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 45,606 taken
created 16 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,762 taken
created 16 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 28,330 taken
created 15 months ago

Foreign Titles

  • Shrek - Der tollkühne Held (DE)
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile