Realistically, the plot of Shrek follows a green ogre in his mission to save his own isolated home. Without the soundtrack, I don’t believe it would be as good as it is. Imagine the same film but to jazz music. It just wouldn’t work.
Shrek was the first popular animated feature that decided to choose contemporary popular music as opposed to its own songs. This just heightens the fun and playful feeling throughout it. It's safe to say that Dreamworks knew exactly what they were doing when breaking the boundaries for animation conventions.
Upon re-watching this film at the weekend, I made sure to pay close attention to the choice of song and its placement. What makes the soundtrack that much better is the timing of each tune. Whether that’s comedic gold or gut-wrenching heartbreak, there is always an appropriate song to comment on the action happening on-screen.
The soundtrack of Shrek was a clever tool used by the filmmakers to lure people in to watch the film. Who knows whether it would have the same success had they decided not to include ‘All Star’ in the opening scene.
