Shrek or Monsters, Inc.?

Which one do you guys prefer?
Personally, I've always been a huge fan of Monsters, Inc.

They’re both great.

Shrek—honestly, a huge part of that was because of Donkey 😁

It’s absolutely and exclusively Shrek 😁

Oh man, it is such a tough call to make! While I love the story and the animation in Shrek, I have to say Monsters, Inc. just takes the win because the lineup of characters is so much more hilarious and clever! 😛

Personally, I think Monsters, Inc. is the better film

By the way, Shrek is a little overrated

Monsters, Inc. just don't have any conscience. 👍 😍

Personally, I'm all about Monsters, Inc. (don't get me started on Nemo, he's my absolute favorite, but we aren't talking about him right now!)

One really ought to be comparing Monsters, Inc., Ice Age, and Finding Nemo, given they all target the exact same demographic.

If you haven't caught on yet, Shrek actually possesses a certain depth; its philosophy is more complex, making it essentially a film for adults rather than just kids.

Of course, they're all excellent. We’ve been fortunate enough to be swept up in this wave of intelligent, entertaining animated features from DreamWorks and Pixar, following those several miserable years of agony we endured with Disney.

Richard Howard2 said:We really should be comparing Monsters, Inc., Ice Age, and Finding Nemo, since they're all aiming for the exact same crowd.

But honestly, if you haven't realized it yet, Shrek is actually way deeper and more complex philosophically... it's basically made for adults rather than kids!

I mean, don't get me wrong, they're all great. We got so lucky with this massive wave of smart, hilarious animated movies coming out of DreamWorks and Pixar after those few years of pure agony with Disney.

Ever since The Lion King, Disney totally wiped me out with their cartoons and

those soundtracks featuring all those divas just trying to out-sing each other... oh, and btw, there was that

hilarious parody in South Park about The Lion King law 😁.

Monsters, Inc., obviously. 👍 I mean, Shrek is just straight-up garbage. 🙂

Richard Howard2> If you haven't noticed, Shrek actually has a deeper, more complex philosophy; it’s essentially aimed more at adults than kids.

Good grief, Richard Howard2, what are you even talking about? 😲 Using the words "complex" and "philosophy" in the same sentence as Shrek... man, you must have been eating some seriously bad mushrooms. 😁

Honestly, it doesn't really fit either category. They TRIED to make it appeal more to adults, but they couldn't quite figure out how to dodge the censors while still making it kid-friendly, so they ended up with a giant nothingburger. 👎

Richard Howard2> We've been lucky to be hit by a wave of smart, entertaining animated films from DreamWorks and Pixar after those few years of misery with Disney.

Aside from Shrek—which is anything but intelligent—name one single movie that came from a DreamWorks and Pixar collaboration.

Wait a second... how on earth is Shrek just some big nothing!?
😕

I mean, seriously, why!?😕

Richard Howard2 made things a little complicated there, btw...

Melissa Moore32 said:It's Monsters, Inc., obviously. 👍 Shrek is actually the bigger piece of junk. 🙂

God, Richard Howard2 just won't stop talking...😲 Using words like "complex" and "philosophy" in the same sentence as Shrek... you must have eaten some bad mushrooms. 😁

In reality, neither movie hits the mark. They TRIED to make them appeal more to adults, but they couldn't figure out how to dodge the censors and stay kid-friendly at the same time, so they ended up with a big fat nothing. 👎

Aside from Shrek—which is anything but intelligent—name one other film from DreamWorks in collaboration with Pixar.

Just as I thought... you clearly didn't get Shrek! 🙂

From basic adult jokes about "size compensation," to more intricate dynamics regarding how we value human traits (friendship on a slightly more nuanced level), through the satirical and ironic comedic lens used to analyze society via the villainous prince and his kingdom, all the way to the layers (remember the onion metaphor?) of the human psyche embodied by Shrek himself, and finally that grand finale where Princess Fiona resolves her curse by turning into an ugly Ogre (because within that Ogre lies her true beauty) ---> all of this is far deeper than what children can grasp.

It isn't just some simple story about sacrifice, nobility, and the family values you see in other animated films.

Richard Howard2 said:We really ought to be comparing Monsters, Inc., Ice Age, and Finding Nemo since they’re all aiming for the exact same crowd.

Yeah... I'm pretty sure that target audience totally lost it over that whole bit about the Sydney Opera House and the Flying Dutchman and everything... Word on the street is the theater was packed with kids practically choking on their popcorn because they were laughing so hard!
"hahahah opera... hahahataribehahahaha... dad... wait, what even is a Sydney Opera House?"

Man, kids these days...

feralgardener502 said:Yeah... I'm convinced the target audience completely lost it over that whole gag involving the Sydney Opera House and the forgotten Doritos or whatever... Apparently, the trauma ward at the local hospital was absolutely packed with kids who were basically choking on popcorn because they couldn't stop laughing.
Hahaha, opera... hahaha, alright, let's see... haha... Dad... wait, what on earth is "sidnai opera"?

Kids these days... honestly, I don't know where we went wrong.

While these animated films are technically produced for all ages, let's be honest—the primary target audience is children.
But you already know that, don't you?

Richard Howard2> As I thought... you just didn't get Shrek!

OH MY GOD, JUST IMAGINE!!!!111one 😲

You're getting a bit worked up again, Richard Howard2. You're just throwing shots without any actual arguments. Like, what, now I didn't "get" Shrek? Has it finally sunk in that I did get it, and I just don't see any of this supposed "meaning" or "depth" you keep rambling about? We're talking about Shrek, a cartoon made because some wealthy daddy wanted something his toddlers would like from a picture book.

Richard Howard2> From simple adult jokes like "size compensation," to more complex relationships and the valuing of human traits (friendship on a slightly more sophisticated level), through the satirical and ironic comedic approach to analyzing human society embodied by the villainous prince and his city, all the way to the layers—remember the "layers" with the onions?—of the human psyche embodied by Shrek himself, and that magnificent ending where Princess Fiona resolves her curse by turning into an ugly Ogre (because within that ugly Ogre lies her true beauty).

Well, you basically listed everything yourself, so I won't even have to. I'll just comment.

"Size compensation" is just stupidity. Throwing in a "penis joke" that, on one hand, kids won't even catch, and on the other, isn't funny for adults—at least not for those with a sense of actual intelligent humor. I'm just not sure which group you fall into, Richard Howard2.

"Friendship on a slightly more sophisticated level"—How sophisticated? How much more? Reading this, it sounds like you're describing "The Deer Hunter" rather than Shrek.

I'll give you the thing about the prince and the city, but that's stuff you can find in plenty of animated movies, whether they're live-action adaptations or series. So, I don't see why that's some special selling point for Shrek.

And the ending is so predictable it's almost painful (from an adult perspective, obviously). Because that kind of ending is typical and designed specifically for kids. With a little neat little bow at the end.

Richard Howard2> ---> all of this is far deeper than what children can grasp.

Hahaha....😂 Man, you really cracked me up there. Kids can't grasp it? Please, look at the nonsense you're writing. It was made for kids, and it was made EXACTLY so that they could grasp it. Now, if you want to brag about being able to understand messages intended for ten-year-olds, that's your business.

To wrap up this debate, I don't think Shrek is bad or inappropriate for kids, it ISN'T. But it's nowhere near the quality of other animated films, whether it's Disney or DreamWorks, which also target a slightly older audience like teenagers.

Whatever, Richard Howard2. I suggest you watch "The Wonder Years." A real story about friendship, courage, and honor. Unless, of course, that's a bit too heavy for you, considering you're triggering off psychology meant for ten-year-olds. If that's the case, maybe we shouldn't even bother having a discussion about "complexity" and "meaning."

Melissa Moore32 🙏

Monsters, Inc. is definitely the winner; I've never been particularly big on Shrek.

Melissa Moore32 said:OH, JUST IMAGINE!!!!111one 😲

You're overstepping again, Richard Howard2. You're just throwing shots without any actual arguments. Who do you think you are? I didn't "get" Shrek. Has it finally sunk in that I understood it perfectly fine, yet I see absolutely zero "meaning" or "depth" in it? We are talking about Shrek, a cartoon produced because some wealthy daddy liked a picture book his spoiled kids enjoyed.

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Well, you laid it all out yourself, so I won't even bother listing them; I'll just comment.

The whole "size compensation" thing is pure idiocy. Throwing in a "penis joke" that, on point A, kids won't grasp, and on point B, isn't funny to adults—at least not to those with a sense of genuine, intelligent humor. I'm just not sure which group you fall into, Richard Howard2.

"Friendship on a slightly more complex level"—How complex? How much more complex? Reading this, you sound like you're discussing "The Deer Hunter" instead of Shrek.

I'll give you the part about the prince and the castle, but that's something you can find in plenty of animated films, whether they are live-action adaptations or series. So, I don't see why that's some special selling point for Shrek.

And the ending itself is so predictable it's actually tragic (from an adult perspective, obviously). It's the kind of ending specifically engineered for children. Just a little neat little punchline at the end.

[/b]

Hahaha….😂 You really gave me a laugh there. You claim kids can't understand it? Please, look at the nonsense you're spewing. It was made for kids, and it was made EXACTLY so that they could understand it. Now, the fact that you're acting proud of having grasped messages intended for ten-year-olds is your own business.

To wrap up this debate, I don't think Shrek is bad or inappropriate for kids, it ISN'T. But it's nowhere near the quality of other animated films, whether it's Disney or DreamWorks, which also cater to a slightly older teenage demographic.

Nothing, Richard Howard2; I suggest you go watch "The Odyssey." A real story about friendship, courage, and honor. Unless, of course, that's a bit too heavy for you, given how you trigger on psychology meant for ten-year-olds. If so, perhaps we should stick to discussions about "complexity" and "meaning" at that level. [/B]

I still maintain you haven't understood it. Even the humor in Shrek is on a higher level than in Monsters, Inc. and things like that.

BTW, in a normal scenario, Princess Fiona would have turned back into Belle at the end.

You guys just don't get it.

Hey! What even is this!?😕

You guys are talking absolute nonsense!

Seriously, what kind of "analysis" is this!?😕

What's next? Are you gonna tell me you found deep symbolism in the color of Shrek's outfit!?😕