Common Sense Media Review
By Grace Montgomery
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Musical version is edgier, not as fun as animated movie.
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Shrek the Musical
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 20 kid reviews
Kids say the adaptation has mixed reviews, with some enjoying the music and choreography, while others feel it fails to capture the charm of the original movie and includes inappropriate content for young audiences. Though there are standout performances and clever production elements, many believe it lacks the originality and heart of the beloved animated classic.
- mixed reviews
- inappropriate content
- standout performances
- lacks originality
- clever production
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Shrek (Brian D'Arcy James), a hilariously grumpy ogre, finds his swamp taken over by fairy tale characters who've been banished by the evil Lord Farquaad (Christopher Sieber). In exchange for getting his swamp back, Shrek agrees to rescue the princess Fiona (Sutton Foster) from a fire-breathing dragon so she can marry Lord Farquaad. Shrek reluctantly sets off to save Fiona with the hilarious talking donkey, Donkey (Daniel Breaker). On their adventure, Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona all learn that appearances can be deceiving, and they learn the true meaning of friendship.
Is It Any Good?
As with Shrek the movie, SHREK THE MUSICAL is funny, clever, and charming, for all the same reasons the movie is. It takes your typical fairy tale characters and turns them upside down, making the ogre the hero and the princess anything but princess-y. Many of the same jokes and favorite lines from the movie are in the play, and often they're just as funny, but sometimes they seem to miss the mark when played by real actors dressed up as, for example, a big green ogre or a talking donkey. Also, somehow the burps and gross-out humor seem even grosser when not delivered by a cartoon character.
Mostly the play itself feels somewhat unnecessary. Shrek the movie hit all the right notes, with hilarious voice actors, silly humor, and a really great soundtrack. Shrek the musical doesn't really add anything to the mix that's better than the movie. Although the actors are very talented, none of the songs is memorable. And, although many of the sets are impressive (there's a giant puppet dragon and some great dance sequences), they don't catch your attention the same way on video they would if you saw them on stage. Kids will probably be entertained by the play's humor, but they may be bored by the numerous songs and the play's more-than-two-hour run time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why you think they made Shrek into a musical. Do you think it works as a musical, or do you like the movie version better?
There are a lot of references to Disney movies and other Broadway-based movies in the play. Which ones did you notice?
Do you like the songs in the play? Do you like them better than the music in the movie? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 7, 2013
- Cast : Sutton Foster , Christopher Sieber , Brian D'Arcy James
- Directors : Jason Moore , Michael John Warren
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : DreamWorks
- Genre : Musical
- Run time : 130 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 5, 2025
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