Shrek FAQ
Below are Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about Shrek.

Q: What is Shrek rated?

A: Shrek is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for "mild language and some crude humor."

Q: Is this movie OK to take my children to see?

A: This is the most frequently asked question we receive due to the film's PG rating. Even a teacher asked if it is safe to take her kindergarten class to view the movie. The only way for you to determine if the movie is OK for your children (or students) is for you to first view it by yourself. Mild language and crude humor is the reason for the PG rating. For some parents this may not be appropriate and for others it may, therefore you must first view the movie on your own to make such a determination. See our review for more information on the movie content.

Q: How long is Shrek?

A: The running time for Shrek is 85 minutes.

Q: How much did it cost to make Shrek?

A: Approximately $70 million. That does not include DreamWorks marketing budget for Shrek, which was huge..

Q: What is the Shrek story about?

A: Shrek is the story of an ogre whose world is turned upside down when fairy tale characters start showing up inside his swamp home. Banned from the evil Lord Farquaad's kingdom, the fairy tale characters are looking for a new home - only Shrek (the ogre) doesn't want his home to be their home too. So Shrek seeks out the evil Lord Farquaad to get his "pest" problem solved. Farquaad gives Shrek a quest (rescue a princess) with the guarantee that if the quest is successful, then Farquaad will intervene with the pesky fairy tale character infestation that Shrek is having.

Q: I heard that Shrek has a lot of modern pop songs thrown into it. Is this true and, if so, wouldn't that ruin the movie since it is set in the past?

A: Yes, some may be surprised that pop songs do play during the film, however it is important that you view Shrek in the mindset of it being a humorous parody and therefore normal rules don't apply. Parents should also be aware that there is crude humor in Shrek. If you can accept this fact prior to viewing the movie (and the fact that Ogre's, by nature, are gross creatures) then it will make it more enjoyable.

Q: How many people worked on Shrek?

A: Over 275 people - including computer animators, software developers, and engineers - spent three years to create Shrek.

Q: I heard that Mike Myers wasn't originally cast as the voice of Shrek. Is this true?

A: Yes, it is true. Chris Farley was originally cast as the voice of Shrek, but he died while the voicing of the movie was still in progress. This is when Mike Myers was brought on board.

Q: Where is the official Shrek movie site?

A: The official movie site for Shrek is at www.shrek.com.

Q: Can DreamWorks get away with using Disney character's in its movie? Aren't the characters copyright?

A: DreamWorks can "get away" with it because A) the movie is a parody and B) Disney did not create the characters shown - they were characters (and legends) created decades and centuries ago, many by book authors.

Q: Is Shrek an original movie.

A: Not exactly. Shrek is based on a children's book by William Steig called "Shrek". Of course DreamWorks took a lot of leeway with its version, which often pokes fun at Disney.

Q: The name of the voice of Monsieur Hood, Vincent Cassel, looks familiar. Has he appeared or lent his voice to any other films?

A: Vincent Cassel is an actor who you may recognize from the following two films (as well as numerous French films):

- The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc - Gilles de Rais
- Elizabeth - Duc d'Anjou

Q: There has been a lot of tension between DreamWorks and Disney. Is it wise to be poking fun at your competitor?

A: The tension is really between Jeffrey Katzenberg (DreamWorks principal) and Michael Eisner (Disney CEO). There are dozens of inside jokes that only people closest to the falling out between these two people will understand and there are dozens more based on widely publicized situations like Eisner calling Katzenberg "a little midget". Instead of slamming Disney in public statements, Katzenberg has chosen a more creative release mechanism through Shrek and it doesn't solely target Disney, either, in its jokes. This competitive twist put into the movie has actually increased its publicity and will likely result in more people seeing the movie.

Q: I've heard references from DreamWorks that Shrek is considered to be a "Holy Grail of CG Animation." What do they mean by this?

A: The Holy Grail of CG Animation you've heard them use is in reference to "creating realistic, believable human characters; rich, organic natural environments; mixtures of fluids that interact with characters; clothing with detailed textures and movement; realistic hair, fur, and fire." While all these elements are high quality in Shrek, I don't know if I'd go as far as to call them "The Holy Grail of CG Animation."

Q: Is it true that DreamWorks is not releasing the background score to Shrek?! Please tell me it is not true.

A: DreamWorks has announced that they are releasing a soundtrack to Shrek filled with pop songs (which appear in the movie) from Baha Men, Smash Mouth, and other groups. On that soundtrack will be a short "medley" of edited background score selections (versus the complete score). So the answer is that, unfortunately, DreamWorks has given no indications that it plans on releasing a background score CD with the work of composers John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams. We join others in asking that DreamWorks please consider putting out a Shrek background score CD.

Q: What software was used to create Shrek?

A: PDI, which created Shrek, mostly uses its own proprietary software (like its own Fluid Animation System) for its animated movies. However, for some elements it also took advantage of some of the powerhouse animation programs available to the public. This is particularly true with Maya, which PDI used for most of its dynamic cloth animation and for the hair of Fiona and Farquaad. Photoshop was also used quite a bit in the art department. There was also a touch of Softimage used in the movie. But most of the software used was PDI exclusive, created by its research and development team.

Q: Did DreamWorks animate Shrek?

A: Shrek was animated by DreamWorks subsidiary PDI, who also did ANTZ. DreamWorks is distributing and marketing the film. And speaking of marketing, Digital Media FX is on the record in saying that Shrek has been one of the best marketed animated films ever. Kudos to DreamWorks for doing such and excellent job (one that is costing tens of millions of dollars).

Q: What are the words to the "Duloc" theme park song in Shrek?

A: The lyrics, written by Eric Darnell, are as follows:

"Welcome to Duloc; such a perfect town
Here we have some rules; let us lay them down
Don't make waves; stay in line
And we'll get along fine
Duloc is a perfect place.

Please keep off of the grass
Shine your shoes; wipe your (pause) face
Duloc is; Duloc is
Duloc is a perfect place.

Q: I have another question. Who do I ask?

A: Send your question to joetracy@earthlink.net with a subject header of "Shrek Question". Select questions will be answered on this page.