Shrek 5 was supposed to be a nostalgic and triumphant return for one of animation's most beloved franchises.
Instead, the DreamWorks Animation film has sparked a heated online debate over the new character designs after the release of the first trailer on June 16.
While some viewers praised the more modern animation style, a majority claimed the changes made the characters appear hyper-realistically altered, prompting a flood of commentary likening the redesigns to the results of cosmetic procedures.
Highlights
- Shrek 5 trailer failed to impress netizens, with many complaining about the character redesigns.
- Some fans were furious about how Fiona looked like she had undergone “plastic surgery” and appeared younger than Shrek.
- Other aspects of the trailer, like Gingerbread Man’s “BBL,” also bothered viewers.
Some even suspected that AI was used in its making.
A few critics were specifically concerned about how Princess Fiona’s changed appearance went against the crux of the character’s arc, and the message it was sending about the rise of unrealistic beauty standards, even in an animated movie.
“Whoever is running the new Shrek has NO IDEA what the original story is about,” one person commented.
A TikToker accused creators of “snatchifying” and de-aging Fiona
Image credits: DreamWorks Animation
A TikToker from North Carolina named Risa, who goes by “hoarderprincess” on the platform and has 1.5 million likes, shared a video reaction to Fiona’s new character design.
“Hey, can anyone tell me why they gave Fiona from Shrek buccal fat removal, a chin transplant, a nose job, and an airbrushed collarbone?” she said.
“Just to remind you, this is a character who chose to remain an ogre because that was her ‘true love self.’”
“The kicker? They aged Shrek,” she continued. “They gave him wrinkles [to show] the passage of time, and they snatchified her and made her look younger.”
Image credits: DreamWorks Animation
“This is such an indicator of where we are as a society,” the TikToker added.
“She literally was like, ‘This is me, and this is how I look, and you like it, and I like it, and we like it. We are ogres.’ Y’all turned her into Anna from Frozen.”
“That looks like his daughter,” she concluded, pointing at the visible difference between Fiona and her husband, Shrek’s appearance. “Y’all are so weird about women.”
Netizens claimed Fiona’s character redesign “ruined” her original arc
Image credits: DreamWorks Animation
Introduced as a princess cursed to become an ogre every night, Fiona initially believed she must become a traditionally beautiful human to achieve her happy ending. However, by the end of the first film, she discovered that her "true love's form" was actually her ogre self and chose to remain one.
The message was widely praised at the time for challenging fairy-tale norms and promoting the idea that inner worth matters more than physical appearance.
Several netizens who agreed with Risa claimed that the new design is a step backward in that regard. Some even said they would boycott the movie over it.
“Won’t watch it because of this! It is that serious,” one said. Another commented, “Fiona deserves to age gracefully.”
Image credits: DreamWorks Animation
“The movie was about body positivity, and they just took that away,” said a third. A fourth chimed in, “I wanted to see Fiona with graying hair and laugh lines.”
“Ironically, changing the art style and beautifying Fiona defeats the entire message of the first film and its subversive narrative,” said a fifth.
A commenter who claimed they worked at the studio said, “It isn’t the animators or artists’ fault. These things are not even up to DreamWorks; it's up to higher-up executives, and it's not in our control.”
Gingerbread Man’s “BBL” and Donkey’s new look also bothered users
Image credits: DreamWorks Animation
Fiona’s appearance wasn’t the only factor about the Shrek 5 trailer that didn’t sit well with the fans.
Some netizens questioned the notable absence of Shrek and Fiona’s daughter, Felicia, from the trailer, which showed the couple getting thrown into jail along with their sons and Donkey.
A few didn’t like the script leaning into fast-paced physical comedy rather than the more satirical fairy-tale humor viewers were used to getting from the franchise.
Image credits: DreamWorks Animation
One brief moment that drew significant backlash featured Gingerbread Man showing an enhanced backside while being spanked by two female gingerbread characters.
“Did they give Gingerbread Man a gumdrop BBL?” one Reddit user commented.
People were also unhappy with how Donkey looked, and the trailer's overall feel failed to impress fans.
“Why tf does Donkey look like the zebra from Madagascar?” one said. “Another wrote, “The trailer made me cringe so bad, this movie looks terrible.”
The Shrek movies are streaming on Peacock.