There's a technical explanation for Shrek 5's controversial new look

There's been some criticism of the new look of Shrek 5. A short trailer suggests that DreamWorks has switched to a cleaner animation style, while some say the characters look more cartoony, with more rounded shapes and bigger eyes.

The change in the style of animation perhaps shouldn't be a surprise. It's been 14 years since Shrek Forever After in 2010, and the new Shrek looks to be more in line with the style of DreamWorks more recent films. But the variation isn't just because of changing trends (and the fact that DreamWorks is now part of NBCUniversal): there's a significant technical difference too (also see our guide to the best animation software).

Shrek 5 Cast Announcement - YouTube

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One reason for the new Shrek look is that since the last film, DreamWorks has swtiched to the open-source rendering engine MoonRay, which it first used on How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World back in 2019. This departure allows more realistic and accurate lighting and smoother textures. It's also allowed DreamWorks to refine character features, which is likely to be the reason for the differences in Shrek's ears, mouth, and nose.

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As we noted in our own MoonRay review, the tool, which were also used in Kung Fu Panda, boasts high-performance Monte Carlo ray tracing, which is what delivers DreamWorks’ stylised look and photorealism. Like Pixar's Renderman. MoonRay is available to everyone, but unlike Renderman, it's totally free of charge.

Shrek 5 reunites much of the original Shrek cast, with Mike Myers voicing Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Fiona. Zendaya will voice Shrek and Fiona's daughter.