Wow, that tattoo is priceless. The folks at Dreamworks really outdid themselves this time!

Some folks are easily amused, I reckon.....

"Disney recently agreed to air a Shrek Christmas special produced by Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation."

I know that Jim mentioned that in an article a couple months back, but it still gives me an ache in my stomach.  That's just wrong.  I was about to say if DreamWorks wants its shows on TV, maybe they should get their own channel, but, if successful, I'd hate myself for thinking it.  Why couldn't Fox or NBC or CBS air the "Shrek" special?  Why, Disney, why?

"Rob, it's almost been 19 years since the original film was released to theaters. And that's an awfully long time to go between installments in a series."

*cough" "Bambi II" * "Cinderella III" *cough*

I like the Disney sequels, I'm not knocking them (I want to work for BVHE when I graduate), but, in the past few years, 19 years is nothing, at least in the animation world.  People still love Roger Rabbit today, so I think that a sequel would do phenomenal at the box office.  Not to mention on DVD.  And, you mentioned "Indiana Jones"- so, there's hope.

" If "Enchanted" turns out to be an enormous hit this Fall, chances are that Walt Disney Studios will then explore the idea of producing even more movies that mix live action and traditional animation. And if that's the case ... We could possibly see yet another attempt at reviving the Roger Rabbit franchise."

That would be incredible!  More live action/animated films!  As long as the animation is traditional.  And make them musicals!  :-) :-) :-)

Sorry if I offend anyone, but, boy is that Snow White ugly.  Maybe she's supposed to be, I don't know.  Disney's Snow White really is the fairest in the land.

Who's they use for that Snow White model?? She looks like a 50 pound overweight Sarah Silverman! Shudder ....

Jim, I don't have much to say on this article (I tend to agree that Roger's best days are behind him), but I did want to chime in and say that I think this week (and last week, actually) has produced perhaps one of the best series of articles this site has done in over a year. I've seriously enjoyed reading each and every one of them.

Thanks, Jim!!

"but I did want to chime in and say that I think this week (and last week, actually) has produced perhaps one of the best series of articles this site has done in over a year."

That must be what happens when Jim is trapped in his backwoods cabin in New Hampshire due to subzero temperatures. Let's hope global warming doesn't change that too soon;)

I'm sorry to see Disney getting anywhere near the Shrek franchise.  That Snow White "Joke" illustrates perfectly why these movies are awful.  If you have to zoom in on a joke like this, it means you've got nothing else to show.  This is the lind of thing that's best left in the background, something for sharp-eyed viewers to catch and chuckle about.  Actually giving it screentime shows that they've got their priorities screwed up.

I agree with you guys. That Snow White is awful. I wonder if her homeliness is deliberate - another lame jab at Disney? Really, while I like Shrek, Donkey, Dragon, et al, I too am almighty sick of the Disney jokes that sore loser Katzenberg keeps slipping into the movies. It makes you wonder if the movies could stand on their own without them. Ironically, the Shrek films actually seem very dependent on the source they constantly make fun of. Anyway, the jokes have gotten tiresome and in some cases, they've gone too far. In the last film, when the Little Mermaid got thrown to the sharks, that was about it for me. Nobody, but nobody in the theatre laughed at that "joke". Now I admit, I'll go to see the third installment - but with little of the eager enthusiasm I felt for the first film. I actually called in sick at work in order to see it at a matinee the day it opened. Hardly seems worth it now...

While a lot of the charm was bled out of Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit, the movie still won for best animated feature.  They must have done SOMETHING right.  I would love to see a cut of the movie the way that Nick Park originally intended.  It would have been great.  I love the movie regardless and there is very much to love still in this movie despite the meddlesome Dreamworks executives.  

Thanks Jim for answering my question about Roger Rabbit!  I'm glad there is still a tiny bit of hope because i know there was zero chance when Eizner was in charge!  I've been hooked on this site for awhile now and it's the first thing a check during lunch.  Great stuff Jim, looking forward to possibly hearing more news about Roger in the future!

Hmmm.. Roger's comeback.. Skeptical, but if they've got a very good and solid story then, yess!!

Shrek, Shrek, Shrek.. I just don't get it. The movies aren't bad, but they're just not good. Never really understood why Shrek won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature over Monster, Inc. The Shrek franchise is just mediocre, relying on existing movies and stories, instead of creating an original tale. Like 'gigglesock' said, I will go see Shrek the Third too, but just because I'm curious what the quality of the film is, and not because I'm truly excited.

(Why doesn't Aardman approach Disney? Since Disney obviously wants it all (traditional animation, computer animation, motion capture), why not go for Aardman's stop-motion?!)

"That Snow White "Joke" illustrates perfectly why these movies are awful.  If you have to zoom in on a joke like this, it means you've got nothing else to show."  

Anyone who thinks that the Snow White joke is too much, do not understand how Dreamworks is doing the same thing as Disney does with inside jokes. I mean, hello.. hidden mickeys, hidden picture of a nude woman in Rescuers, etc... Just because a joke is discreet, does not give anyone the right to judge a film until they see it entirely. Even some Disney films make fun of themselves... (ex. Lion King when the bird starts singing, "it's a small world".

Also, why is everyone thinking the Disney in-jokes are tiresome? Many people are putting Disney as this glorious untouchable entity that should be protected. Honestly people, I love Disney films just as much as the next Disney fan, but stop complaining.

Along with the others, I wanted to complement Jim Hill on the wonderful stories he's produced this past week. They've been of the caliber of stories that first made me a fan of the site. Great work, Jim!

As for the Snow White rendering, guys, calm down. That's just one still of a scene where Snow White is looking angry, tough, and ready to fight. Kinda like a princess parody of Charlie's Angels featuring Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel.

Just go take a look at the trailer for Shrek 3 and you'll see the more sightly, prettier Snow White you're used to seeing. You'll also see the scene in question where she rips off her sleeve, and bares her fists, ready to do battle. That should help put that shot in context and alleviate some concerns.

Unappealing character design is a Dreamworks' hallmark.  Snow White being bland, boring, and unattractive is on par with most of their other designs--especially in the Shrek series.

I loved Roger Rabbit, but at this point I hope they don't do a sequel.  ESPECIALLY if the plan is to do him in 3D.  While I like the cartoony feel the outstretch arms achieve in that pose, Roger's face looks really wrong to me.  One of my favorite gags in the original was how Betty Boop was still black and white, just as she was originally created.  To suddenly have Roger and the other toons appear as CG creations would just be wrong.

UNLESS!

The story revolved around how all the original toons in Toontown are now out of work and home because they've been replaced by 3D version of themselves.  This could lead to some fun adventures as traditional Roger and his doppelganger CG Roger begin as enemies but are forced to work together and in the end achieve their goals as friends.  Heck, the whole movie could be a metaphor for today's animation industry--dealing with how 3D took over and drove traditional to the brink, but in the end neither method is inherently superior, and can in fact co-exist as equals.

"Based on what Aardman insiders have told me, it wasn't so much that American audiences didn't get the jokes. But -- rather -- that DreamWorks Animation executives were so concerned that U.S. moviegoers might not get the gags that they kept asking for change after change. Which eventually bled a lot of the quirky charm out of "Wallace & Gromit -- The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" & "Flushed Away.""

Well, while I believe that...the fact Dreamworks executives supposably "bleed" the charm out of "Wallace and Gromy: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is perposterous! That movie had TONS of charm. Not only the Best Animated Film by 2005(pretty much agreed by everyone: audience, critic and the academy, but Chicken Little isn't far off!) but among the Best Animated films both of this decade and ever!

I'll believe that problem for "Flushed Away" though. I was actually very disappointed with how it turned out, and thought Aardman had the chance to make another masterpiece, it actually had problems I'd find in a "Dreamworks" films: to many jokes that aren't that funny, not enough heart or originallity, not very relatable characters etc.  And even with that taken out of the way, Dreamworks also poorly distributed both films which unfortunately made them "disappointments".

But still, Aardman still has pretty much a perfect track record(better than Pixar imo) and hope the best for them. I actually hope this means Disney and Aardman can make a deal as mildly thought about in the 1990's.

Anyway, great article! I actually thought about both of these issues before and was pleasently surprised other people have wondered about those issues as well.

And as far as I'm concerned: Until Iger releases more "Roger Rabbit" stuff, Disney has yet to be "saved". :)

Just as Star Wars came back and a whole new generation fell in love, so too can Roger Rabbit.  The current generation has no clue.  Combine the new generation with lovers of the past Roger Rabbit and you have wide market appeal.  Or perhaps I am being too simple?

I never really liked any of the Dreamworks films.

They put no originality to their films, and they're full of pop-culture to get a cheap laugh.

hMM. Dreamworks, poor Dreamworks. Their latest movie, "Over the Hedge," gotta admit, it was alright, but not nearly as good as Pixar's.

"Shrek the Third" looks interesting. It will definitely not be as good as the first or the second, judging from the trailer, it looks as if they've stuffed every possible plot for this movie they imagined. But anyway, I say it will probably end up doing good business. I say around 300 million. THE SHREK Series hasn't been around these past few years. People will probably flock to see this one.

BUT WAIT!!!!!! does this film really stand a chance? Isn't Sony releasing their Spiderman 3 film only a week after this one... hmm? Yeah, I say Shrek will probably be shot down this time. SPIDERMAN 3 has WAYYYYYY too much influence on boys, they'll prefer Spiderman over Shrek anyday, except for the really little ones, Shrek might not be able to capture the "full" audience it did back in the earlier years.

BUT WAIT!!!!!!! Doesn't Disney also have another film coming out in May? haha, aren't a few pirates going for another whack at it? One of the top 3 money making movies EVER. YEAH, Disney went down in history for Pirates 2. PEOPLE WILL LITERALLY FLOCK TO THEATERS, TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO JACK SPARROW. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, I EXPECT PIRATES 3, TO NOT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN SPIDERMAN 3, BUT IT WILL SURELY KICK SHREK'S BUTT. AND IT'LL PROBABLY END UP THE WINNER. I'M DYING TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

I'm excited. I can't wait for May to come around, SO MANY THINGS! SO MANY MOVIES! GAHHH! LOL

I'd love to see a new Roger Rabbit flick, but only if the story's there.  A sequel for the sake of a sequel doesn't cut it.  If there's a REASON to bring these characters back, go for it.  I love Who Framed Roger Rabbit, so I'd certainly be interested in revisiting the characters...if they wanted to use CG in some manner, they'd have to bring it into modern times, and then we'd be dealing with a whole new manner of film.

Dreamworks...yeah.  When Shrek came out, I enjoyed it.  I saw it again, and it was still OK.  I saw it once more, and I was over it.  I mean...come on...Matrix jokes?  Those REALLY haven't aged well.  And since so much of the humor in the Shrek flicks is dependent on fairly trendy pop culture references, the shelf life decreases in my eyes.  Plus, the Disney jabs?  It really just strikes me as trying to build yourself up by knocking a competitor down (but this can backfire, as it can serve as an indirect advertisement for the competitor).

But hey, I'm not a huge fan to begin with (saw the second flick, didn't even laugh once), so obviously I'll see the negatives more prominently.

Gigglesock: "Now I admit, I'll go to see the third installment - but with little of the eager enthusiasm I felt for the first film. I actually called in sick at work in order to see it at a matinee the day it opened. Hardly seems worth it now..."

Do yourself a favor and don't bother. We're all in it together.

"Why, Disney, why?"

Why not? The way I figure it, it does nothing but help Disney. First off, Shrek is an extremely popular franchise and to ignore that is just wrong. A Shrek made-for will be an excellent sweeps event in November. And given that Shrek 3 comes out a half a year earlier, it really isn't helping the BO for that movie. The only thing it may coincide with is S3's DVD release, but how is that hurting Disney? Disney has no animated films out in the end of 07, and their only family film coming out that month is Enchanted (which I don't see this movie or S3's DVD release would hurt).

"If "Enchanted" turns out to be an enormous hit this Fall,"

Jim, I think you are putting waaaaaaaay to much pressure on Enchanted. I don't think anyone in reality expects it to do more than Ever After or (at most) Princess Diaries.

"They must have done SOMETHING right."

Yeah, they made a film that the critics love, but the mainstream audience hate.

"The Shrek franchise is just mediocre"

While I too do not like Shrek all that much, around $440m worth of people (in USA alone) will have to disagree.

"Why doesn't Aardman approach Disney?"

I don't see any reason Disney would want Aardman. Their films have done mediocre at best and unlike Zemenckis, they don't have the 'name' value.

"But still, Aardman still has pretty much a perfect track record"

Perfect track record? Hardly. Box office wise, CR was their biggest film ($106m) with the other two barely braking $50 & $60 million. Critics-wise, their most recent film (FA) got a 75% rating at RT.

"Isn't Sony releasing their Spiderman 3 film only a week after this one... hmm?"

Not quite. SM3 is coming out 2 weeks before S3. The weekend after S3 comes out (ie, Memorial Day Weekend), PotC: AWE premiers. So yeah.... it's gonna be an interesting battle to see which of the 3 films reigns supreme.

"Yeah, I say Shrek will probably be shot down this time. SPIDERMAN 3 has WAYYYYYY too much influence on boys, they'll prefer Spiderman over Shrek anyday, except for the really little ones,"

I find it hard to believe that SM3 will beat S3 when the last time they battled (in 2004, S2 vs SM2), SM2 got just $370m (from a $400m predecessor) while Shrek2 got $440m (from a $270m predecessor).

I will continue to remember with great fondness, those pre-Eisner days at Disney, when this once-great entertainment company completely created its own properties with no outside help from other entertainment companies whatsoever. In these inane times we find ourselves in now, however, Disney is content to be a vast (or perhaps just half-vast) clearing house for other peoples' properties. The fact that the management is even considering all these possible partnerships and alliances makes me cringe. Disney does not need Mr. Zemeckis and his Mo Crap, nor any sort of relationship with the folks who brought you the dreck called "Shrek". The more the Company spreads itself thin trying to have its corporate fingers in every piece of the pie by merging with outside talents, the less of a unique identity it will maintain. Not to mention all the troubles they will encounter when these dubious partnerships turn sour, leaving many properties in legal limbo. But then, the Disney Company of today is a money-grubbing, artist-hating monolith, that hasn't a clue of what constitutes real animation anymore or even real entertainment, for that matter...

"The story revolved around how all the original toons in Toontown are now out of work and home because they've been replaced by 3D version of themselves.  This could lead to some fun adventures as traditional Roger and his doppelganger CG Roger begin as enemies but are forced to work together and in the end achieve their goals as friends.  Heck, the whole movie could be a metaphor for today's animation industry--dealing with how 3D took over and drove traditional to the brink, but in the end neither method is inherently superior, and can in fact co-exist as equals."

lol... and then they together run over a claymation model of Roger with a steamroller!

OK... This is just my opinion:

Disney is probably using Enchanted to test the waters - if the princess formula/musical goes well they will probably put alot more effort into the other two princess movies expected; Rupunzel and The Frog Princess (whether that be marketing or production)

If Enchanted doesn't do well, Disney will know to cut the production budget on The Frog Princess - not expecting a large return.  It may also cut down abit on Rupunzel in areas such as advertisement and finishing the movie (all that post production stuff).

Put it this way, if The Little Mermaid didn't do so well, would Disney really have put so much effort into Beauty and the Beast? - I don't think so!

They would have finished it off as cheaply as possible or cut production all together!

Alot is riding on Enchanted, it is the first 'true' princess movie in almost 15 years... if it doesn't do well, the other expected princess movies WILL be affected...