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kleinbl00 · 1286 days ago · link · · parent · post: Shrek at 20: an unfunny and overrated low for blockbuster animation
Shrek is what the industry calls a "four quadrant" feature: kids, men 16-25, women 16-25, adults over 25. Shrek was, in fact, the quintessential example of a "four quadrant" feature until at least 2007, despite the fact that high-dollar animation is invariably "four quadrant." How many themes in Toy Story are entirely over the head of the average eight year old? Is ET a kid's movie? The difference is that Shrek was designed for now and used the lowest comedy imaginable. It started the trend of reaction, rather than action. It taught an entire generation of executives that there is more money in being irreverent rather than relevant, so now we have no movies that are about anything. It's all about reacting to other things.