Shrek Retold: A Film Review

On those nights when you’re on a YouTube binge and can’t figure out what to watch, give Shrek Retold a chance. Directed by Grant Duffrin, this YouTube film is a collaborative project featuring over 200 different artists in order to retell the original version of Shrek. From animation to people cosplaying the characters (yes, even Donkey), to hand puppets, this piece will help bring you back into Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey’s universe. This film is definitely more geared towards those who tend to like adult animation, like Family Guy and Rick and Morty, those who like films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (in which the film thrives on being pretty random), and those that enjoy film as film. For a film that strings together over 200 different retellings of Shrek, it is pretty good. One has to give it up for the creativity that these artists have. While some artists took the approach of sticking to the original layout of the scene and dialogue, opting to just present it in a different medium than the original, others chose to go about with their own creative direction. Needless to say, there are times in this film that it just gets weird. However, that is what makes it strangely entertaining and difficult to turn away so quickly. The transitions between these two different types of scenes is done in a way that keeps viewers on their feet. Yes, everyone knows the storyline of Shrek, so it is nice to keep up with that, however, the scenes that stand out the most because of their creative direction, usually end up being the new comedic relief needed. Sure, Shrek is funny, but Duffrin, the director, knows it’s not funny enough to convince you to watch his retelling. I definitely recommend this film to people who want to watch something really random. Out of 5 stars, I give this film a 3.5.