ROUND 1: THE CHARACTER CLASH
SHREK: The characters in SHREK may look new, but don’t let their appearances fool you: Princess Fiona and Shrek are essentially a rehashed version of Beauty and the Beast! They, like most of the characters in the SHREK series, are parodies of popular fairytale personalities.
TOY STORY: Woody the sheriff and Buzz Lightyear the fearless would-be space ranger are Andy’s two favourite toys and it’s no wonder considering that they are perhaps Pixar’s most recognizable and original characters. Who wouldn’t want their very own Woody or Buzz Lightyear action figure?
The toys are back in town and they take the first point. Let the grudge match begin!
SCORE: SHREK – 0
TOY STORY – 1
ROUND 2: MUSIC MADNESS
SHREK: The SHREK soundtracks showcase top contemporary hits like Smash Mouth’s “I’m A Believer” and the Counting Crows’ “Accidentally In Love”, as well as classics such as “Hallelujah” and “Holding Out For A Hero”.
TOY STORY: Randy Newman is the main composer for the TOY STORY movies, bringing a distinct folk-bluesy sound to the screen with songs like “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. With exception to Sarah McLachlan’s performance of “When She Loved Me” in TOY STORY 2, the songs all sound pretty much the same.
TOY STORY’s tracks may be unique, but they lack the variety of the SHREK soundtracks.
SCORE: SHREK – 1
TOY STORY – 1
ROUND 3: THE OSCAR OBJECTION
SHREK: Both animated series have won many awards, but this is a test of the best and when it comes to making movies, there is no greater honour than the Academy Award. SHREK and SHREK 2 have collectively received three Oscar nominations and one win in 2001 for Best Animated Feature!
TOY STORY: On the other hand, the TOY STORY films raked in a total of four Oscar nods, but came out empty-handed each time. They did, however, receive an Academy Special Achievement Award for developing the technology that made the first computer-animated feature-length film possible.
Pixar may have made it possible, but SHREK stole the show for the best animated pic. It doesn’t get any better than that!
SCORE: SHREK – 2
TOY STORY – 1
ROUND 4: BOX OFFICE BLOWOUT
SHREK: Of course, blockbusters are in the business of making money. The two SHREK flicks pulled in a combined worldwide gross of more than $1,405,100,000! Even when the North American gross is adjusted for inflation, the movies made about $778,687,500.
TOY STORY: Meanwhile, TOY STORY and its sequel made an estimated $847,000,000 worldwide, or $558,100,000 less than SHREK and SHREK 2 put together. Plus, the TOY STORY saga still lags behind the SHREK series after the domestic gross is adjusted for inflation ($603,417,900).
SHREK shatters Hamm’s piggy bank to score another point!
SCORE: SHREK – 3
TOY STORY – 1
ROUND 5: SEQUEL STRIFE
SHREK: After two wildly successful films, everybody’s favourite green ogre returns to theatres again this month in SHREK THE THIRD. And it may not be the last that we hear from the land of Far, Far Away. DreamWorks is already planning a fourth SHREK instalment slated for release in 2010.
TOY STORY: The on-again, off-again TOY STORY 3 project is back on again, but don’t expect to see Woody or Buzz back on the big screen anytime soon. The third TOY STORY film won’t come out until 2010 as well, once the writers have finalized a script, and at that rate people may no longer care.
Simply put, TOY STORY ran out of batteries.
SCORE: SHREK – 4
TOY STORY – 1
ROUND UP: TOY STORY doesn’t go “To Infinity and Beyond!” The Pixar picture may have set the stage for computer animation, but next to SHREK, it is just child’s play. Although Shrek and Fiona have fallen “Accidentally In Love”, it’s no accident that the ogre with an odour has captured the hearts of moviegoers, making SHREK a fun film for the whole family.
Web Links:
www.shrek.com
www.toystory.com