Movies Like Shrek

Looking for movies like Shrek? Here are 10 animated films with the same wit, heart, and fairy-tale fun. We picked each title based on shared tone, themes, and emotional feel.

1. 

   1. Shrek 2

   2004Animation

   Shrek 2 follows Shrek and Fiona as they visit her royal parents in the kingdom of Far Far Away, where her father is not pleased with her choice of husband. It is the direct sequel to Shrek, bringing back the same characters, and it introduces Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas. The scale is bigger and the jokes lean harder into pop culture spoofs, with a meet-the-parents story at its center.

   Where to watch Shrek 2
2. 

   2. The Princess Bride

   1987Comedy

   The Princess Bride, directed by Rob Reiner, is framed as a grandfather reading a story to his sick grandson, about a farm boy turned hero who sets out to rescue the princess he loves. Like Shrek, it mixes swashbuckling fairy tale adventure with jokes that poke fun at the genre. It is live action with a gentler, more romantic tone, and its humor is more about witty dialogue than slapstick.

   Where to watch The Princess Bride
3. 

   3. Enchanted

   2007Animation

   Enchanted follows Giselle, played by Amy Adams, a fairy tale princess-to-be who is banished from her animated kingdom and ends up in real-life New York City. Like Shrek, it lovingly mocks the clichés of classic Disney fairy tales, from singing animals to true love's kiss. It mixes animation with live action, and its satire is warmer and more affectionate toward the genre.

   Where to watch Enchanted
4. 

   4. Megamind

   2010Animation

   Megamind follows a blue-skinned supervillain, voiced by Will Ferrell, who finally defeats his heroic rival and then finds life without a nemesis surprisingly empty. Like Shrek, it is a DreamWorks comedy about a character everyone sees as a monster who turns out to have a good heart. The parody targets superhero movies instead of fairy tales, but the jokes and themes of acceptance are similar.

   Where to watch Megamind
5. 

   5. Over the Hedge

   2006Animation

   Over the Hedge follows RJ, a scheming raccoon, who convinces a group of forest animals waking from hibernation that the new suburban development next door is full of food worth stealing. It comes from DreamWorks like Shrek and has a similar cast of mismatched, talkative characters. Its satire takes aim at suburban consumer culture rather than fairy tales, and the story is smaller in scale.

   Where to watch Over the Hedge
6. 

   6. Kung Fu Panda

   2008Animation

   Kung Fu Panda follows Po, a clumsy panda who works in his father's noodle shop and is unexpectedly chosen as the Dragon Warrior who must defend his valley. Like Shrek, it is a DreamWorks comedy about an unlikely hero who doesn't look the part. It is more of a sincere martial arts adventure, with less parody and more action, and Jack Black's voice performance drives the comedy.

   Where to watch Kung Fu Panda
7. 

   7. Puss in Boots

   2011Animation

   Puss in Boots is a spinoff that follows the swashbuckling cat from the Shrek series, voiced by Antonio Banderas, in an adventure with Humpty Dumpty and the skilled thief Kitty Softpaws. It keeps the fairy tale mash-up humor of Shrek, turning nursery rhyme characters into heist partners. The tone is more of a romantic adventure, with less of Shrek's crude humor.

   Where to watch Puss in Boots
8. 

   8. Tangled

   2010Animation

   Tangled is Disney's take on Rapunzel, following a young woman with magic hair who has been kept in a tower her whole life and escapes with a charming thief. Like Shrek, it features a reluctant rogue, a princess with more spirit than expected, and a road-trip adventure. It plays the fairy tale more sincerely, with musical numbers and a stronger emotional core in place of parody.

   Where to watch Tangled
9. 

   9. Brave

   2012Animation

   Brave, from Pixar, follows Merida, a Scottish princess who rejects the marriage her parents plan for her and asks a witch for a spell that goes very wrong. Like Shrek, it overturns the expectation that a princess's story is about finding a husband. It is a more heartfelt story about a mother and daughter, with less parody and a more serious tone.

   Where to watch Brave
10. 

    10. The Bad Guys

    2022Animation

    The Bad Guys follows a gang of animal criminals, led by the smooth-talking Mr. Wolf, who pretend to reform and then start to wonder if being good might suit them. Like Shrek, it is a DreamWorks comedy about characters labeled as villains who turn out to be more than that. It works as a stylish heist comedy, with a slicker, more modern animation style and no fairy tale setting.

    Where to watch The Bad Guys