The Shrek franchise is the best cinematic universe. Let me explain!

It's difficult to think of the Shrek franchise as being on the same tier as other, longer-running and widely-beloved franchises. But as modern cinema veers further into the realm of long-running franchises that interlock and become more complex with each installment, it’s hard to decide which franchise does it best – especially when casual viewers have trouble following along. Stand-alone movies have become practically nonexistent in the MCU universe: for example, all the TV miniseries tie-ins and films that are dependent on previous ones for full context make it harder and harder to follow the main plot line for each smaller story.

This doesn’t just happen with superhero storylines from MCU or the DCEU. Any long-running franchise, like Star Wars and Star Trek, as well as newer franchises of any genre, including horror, sci-fi, and action thrillers, run into this problem at some point. (How many times can we watch Vin Diesel drive fast cars and talk about family?) However, one franchise stands out above all the others as the best cinematic universe for a myriad of reasons. I’m going to make a bold statement: the Shrek films make up the best cinematic universe. Period.

The Shrek Franchise Succeeds Because of Its Accessibility

Mike Myers as Shrek and Eddie Murphy as Donkey looking confused from 'Shrek'
Image via DreamWorks

One of the main reasons Shrek succeeds so well as a franchise is that it’s accessible. With only four films to follow along with (and possibly a fifth installment on the way) in the primary set of movies, the series isn’t so long that it becomes repetitive or runs out of ideas. While it’s true that each subsequent installment requires the previous for full context, they can also stand on their own as a full story. Shrek’s (Mike Meyers) first adventure sees him and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) rescue Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her castle, allowing Shrek to learn how to fall in love and Fiona to accept herself. The second film begins with Shrek and Fiona already married, and there is enough subtext in the beginning scenes to piece together what might have happened before their marriage, especially due to Prince Charming’s (Rupert Everett) comedic retelling of the events in the first few minutes. Shrek 2 then focuses on Shrek’s desire to be “good enough” for Fiona and learning how to get along with her parents, while King Harold (John Cleese) comes to terms with his own flaws.

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Just like the second film, Shrek the Third starts strong with a quick montage of Shrek filling in for the king, who has fallen ill. It’s clear that Shrek is uncomfortable with the new status quo (and the concept of fatherhood), which leads him to go and find Fiona’s cousin Artie (Justin Timberlake) to become the next king so he can go back to his swamp. Just like Shrek 2, full context is provided by the preceding movies but isn’t necessarily needed in order to enjoy the story as a whole.

Out of all the Shrek sequels (so far), Shrek: Forever After needs the context of all previous movies the least. Shrek makes a well-intentioned but ill-conceived deal with Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn) and accidentally becomes stuck in a version of reality where he never rescued Fiona. Shrek’s reliance on fairy tale parodies presents the perfect context for the princess that never got rescued, so Fiona’s characterization feels multidimensional for the first time since the first movie. Even the Puss in Boots movies starring our favorite Zorro-like cat (Antonio Banderas) are able to stand on their own without Shrek's involvement, following smaller stories without getting caught up in the workings of a larger, much more complex universe.

The Shrek Franchise Uses Parody Well

Prince Charming preparing to attack Far Far Away
Image via DreamWorks Animation

Shrek isn’t just accessible; every film is also a clever amalgamation of parodies, from the classic Disney storylines (pre-subversion) to fairy tale tropes in general. Even if a viewer hasn’t seen previous Shrek movies and isn’t as familiar with them, most audience members are familiar with Disney as the biggest animation company in terms of popularity. If that isn’t enough, the use of fairy tales is even more familiar. Everyone knows the details of, or at the very least the basic story structure, of time-honored fairy tales.

Shrek uses parody not just as a way to add humor, charm, and self-awareness into its stories, but also as a way to imply context without spending too much time spelling it out. Character dynamics are much more complicated than their fairy tales would imply, but Shrek cinematic universe movies use the archetypes found in fairy tales to use as a launching point for character arcs without over-relying on them to form a shallow character. For instance, the story of the frog prince becomes much more interesting when we ask what would happen post-transformation if the prince, now the king, met another “animal” who married his daughter? The starting point is familiar, but the direction the films take these characters become unique through not just subversion, but a serious look at how these types of characters would behave after their fairy tales end.

Plus, parodies are just plain fun! It’s always a great moment when you happen to recognize an homage to some other story in the film you’re watching. Even pop culture references like The Lord of the Rings make it into the films somehow: Shrek fumbles while forging Fiona’s wedding band, tossing it into the air; it lands magically on Fiona’s finger, much like the One Ring does for Frodo. There really isn’t much of a reason for this to happen, except that it’s a strangely fun reference to make.

Each Shrek Installment Maintains the Franchise's Tonal Balance

Shrek and Fiona in bed with their babies in Shrek Forever After
Image via DreamWorks Animation

Despite being completely steeped in humor, Shrek can take itself very seriously when it needs to. Each installment follows Shrek on the next stage of his journey of self-discovery: 1) Shrek learns to find acceptance externally, 2) Shrek learns to accept himself, 3) Shrek faces the idea of taking on more responsibilities for himself and the people he cares about, 4) Shrek learns to appreciate what he has after years of having his dream life. It sounds a little funny to say, considering just how much Shrek’s parody and gross-out humor is peppered throughout the franchise, but Shrek’s story is one of acceptance and discovery, almost like a coming-of-age story. Despite the franchise’s cynical depictions of some of its fairy tales, Shrek’s story is ultimately a positive one.

This positive journey is a great one for kids to see and learn from, but it’s also balanced out with hidden adult jokes for the parents in the audience, making the experience enjoyable for families differently than other family movies are. Thanks to Shrek’s succinct way of summing up pre-movie context, accessibility for new viewers jumping in at any point after the first movie, productive use of parody, and a strange but strong balance of humorous and serious tones, Shrek stands out as the best cinematic universe, even when there’s a surplus of franchises to choose from.