Shrek Reviewed by an Autist

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If there were a movie that would serve as the definition for "nostalgic" in the dictionary, it would be the comically funny Shrek. Shrek is one of those cartoons many younger Gen Zers and older Millennials grew up on and defined those generations for years to come. Shrek is a satirical and comedic kids' movie that comedically mocks classic knights' tales involving rescuing a damsel in distress with a happily ever after, and it worked well to kill off that trope into obscurity and never to be relevant again in later modern movies to come. I will explain how Shrek may relate to a few of my experiences with autism.

What I love about this movie is that it appeals to adults more than just kids due to the raunchy and crude sense of humor from the characters in it. And above that, the movie shows an important moral of the story that states, "Life has already written a happy ever after for us the way we least expect it to." The main characters' iconic status stems from their unique design and writing about themselves, which made the movie iconic the way it was created. Hence, Shrek and his movies have become a pop culture icon for younger generations. The icon that Shrek represents helps explain why Shrek and his movies have become even more significant in the meme world.

The titular character, Shrek, is someone I relate to so much because he lived his whole life being a solitary loner in his swamp, being wrongfully judged by everyone else before they got to know him. Throughout my life, people have judged me for my quirks and social skills related to my autism, which resulted in many rejections and that feeling that most people couldn't be trusted, so I know what it's like. That also led me to value solitude from other people. This desire reached the point where I wanted to hide from others in a cabin by myself. But just like me in real life, Shrek found other characters who saw him for the layers he had underneath his terrifying appearance.

The movie was even full of pop culture references like when the magic mirror made a parody of The Dating Game. Another reference in the beginning was when a story about Princess Fiona referenced classic Disney movies that had the same premise in their beginnings. Another Disney reference in this movie occurs during a scene at Dulac that features a song referencing the "It's a Small World" song. The references made the movie that much more fun to watch. Another notable aspect about this movie is the iconic duo of Shrek and Donkey, whose dynamic works well despite Donkey being annoying a lot. For a movie with few major characters throughout most of the film, they show significant character development to the end.

Overall, this movie is fun to watch for anyone with a raunchy sense of humor. It's good enough to never get tired of watching over and over again. Kids today, like Gen Alpha, may not fully understand seeing this film in the same way they do brain-rot videos on social media. Kids' movies in the later modern era no longer display the same crude humor and language Shrek does. Which would explain why kids at the time, including me, may have refined our sense of humor. I love the moral of the story and the desire for solitude from Shrek that I relate to so much. The best part of the movie was when Shrek and Fiona had their happily ever afters in the end. I give this movie an 8 out of 10.