Formula Analysis: Shrek vs. Up

*SPOILER ALERT*

DreamWorks’ 2001 movie, Shrek and Disney Pixar’s 2009 movie Up are both animated movies filled with adventure and comedy for families to enjoy. They both start out with the main character going on an adventure to save his home. Shrek needed to save Princess Fiona and take her to Lord Farquaad in order to regain his peaceful swamp while Carl Frederickson needed to move his house so that he would not have to live in a retirement home and could live the adventurous life he had promised his late wife. Both Shrek and Mr. Frederickson are the heroes in their respective movies. When Shrek started his adventure, Donkey tried to tag along with him and become his friend. Although Shrek was unwilling to have Donkey with him, Donkey went anyway. Likewise, in Up, When Mr. Frederickson’s house was going up, up, and away, a young boy named Russell happened to be on his porch. Russell wanted to assist Mr. Frederickson in any way to get his “assisting the elderly” badge. Mr. Frederickson was, in the beginning, not only unwilling to let Russell assist him in any meaningful way but was also unwilling to let Russell off of the flying house’s porch and into his house. Both Mr. Frederickson and Shrek tried ways to rid themselves of these tag-alongs but finally both gave into having their companionship. They both went through trials and set-back to get to their destination. Once Shrek had taken Fiona to Lord Farquaad he realized he liked her and once Mr. Frederickson had got his house to the destination he and his late wife had always dreamed of, he decided that was not where he was most needed. At the end of both movies the main character had new friends and a new life. Shrek had his friend Donkey and Princess Fiona while Mr. Frederickson devoted his life to making adventures with Russell.

The formulas in Shrek and Up are similar. In both of these movies, the main character’s familiar homeland is in trouble and they take on an adventure to save it. On their journey they are unwillingly accompanied by another and when they finally accomplish what they set out to do, they have some kind of change of heart. The story ends with them leading a new life with new friends. Both movies had an unlikely hero who was stereotyped. Shrek was stereotyped as a mean ugly ogre and Mr. Frederickson was stereotyped as an old man who couldn’t achieve anything at his old age. Because of these stereotypes both characters wanted to be left alone. However, once others showed that they cared, these characters became accepting and opened up their hearts.

Over the years some formulas change. Many movies nowadays don’t have the happy endings audiences expect them to have from past formulas. For instance, a few movies as examples are Revolutionary Road and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. These movies show the realistic end of the story, although not a happy one. Like in most previous formulas where the hero saves the day and lives to tell about it, some heroes do not make it out alive such as in Gran Torino. This does not change the entire formula, mainly just the ending. This is not true for all formulas though. The formula of yesterday is still applicable in today’s society. These formulas lack an element of surprise, but audiences still enjoy these formulas. Much of it depends on a person’s individual preference. I, for instance, like an element of surprise or the unknown. Lately, although the movies I have chosen have been very well done with great acting, a great story line, and I had no clue as to what was to come, they have sad realistic endings and for some, little hope for the characters in the movie. Among the movies I am referring to are Revolutionary Road, Changeling, The Children of Huang Shi, and The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas.

In the past, I thought many movies were redundant in their formulas. I felt that I was watching basically the same story line over and over again. Lately, writers and directors have done a great job of mixing it up. They have added some twists at the end of movies and have also made more realistic ending movies. I like that some have done this and that some have kept the traditional formula. I enjoy all types of movies and I like having to guess whether it’ll be a traditional formula or have a twist to it. I do not have the creativeness that many directors do to change the existing formula however, what they have done in recent years, I have much enjoyed.

Shrek photo copyright of Dreamworks, 2009.

Up photo copyright of Disney Pixar, 2009.