I agree. Back 10 years ago when it came out, I was still in my school-going days and wouldn't stop hearing about it or the novels. This movie is such an asinine circlejerk-fest and is just generally very stupid and uncomfortable to watch. It shows the worst of stereotypical school-going life and somehow made it into a film. Whoever wrote this shit and the book it was based on is obviously so stuck-up with their head so far up their ass if they think it was actual competent writing or original in the slightest. The thing I hate most about it are the characters. We have your stereotypical nerdy kid protagonist. Back in the day, I think he was considered kind of relatable or something, but no. He isn't and never will be, if he isn't relatable now he sure as hell wasn't relatable back when this kind of story was a large money-maker in terms of books and appealing to the school kid demographic. Then, you have the cringy fat fuck comic relief character who is without a doubt the worst example of that character archetype. And then there's the unremarkable family. What's different here is that they're assholes and I imagine living with them is totally ridiculous bullshit.

It is very refreshing to hear something about it for the first time in a while, and lucky me, it's viewing the movie in a negative light. I remember actively seeking out people who didn't like it so we could have a counterjerk but couldn't find anybody. The worst opinions they seemed to have were having no strong opinion on it. That's changed nowadays, hasn't it?

I rate this movie -69/420, would rather watch Shrek unironically. And I mean the movies after the first one.

Honestly I don't remember hearing much in regards to praise, it was mostly people acknowledging it was a thing and that was about it. I dislike it because, like you said, the characters suck, and I pity any red-headed kid having to go to school after that movie came out with *their* interpretation of Fregly.

Also I kinda liked the Shrek movies; the second one gave us Puss in Boots and he is awesome and I love him .3.

I honestly completely forgot about Fregly. That's another thing, the movie inspires toxicity and stupidity in the children who watch it. I don't like using social issues against movies, but this movie hasn't earned my mercy. It's a lot like how a lot of parents reported that their kids acted like assholes or were whiny. If this movie was going to have to pander to kids like it obviously does, then it should have tried to be as non-toxic as possible. It promotes a horrible perception of 'nerdy' or red-headed children, promotes gender stereotypes and apparently also feminism (Remember the girl that was a dick to the main kid? Yeah, she's what I mean.)

I can't remember how good the Shrek movies were. The first one was good, there was some weird humour and it seems kind of aged, but it's good. I'm really just not sure about the others, especially Shrek the Third which seemed uncomfortable.

Shrek 1 is pretty okay, Shrek 2 is fine (and introduced Mr. Spanish-Cat), I barely remember the third one, and the fourth one wasn't bad I don't think.

I think I'd still rather watch the Puss in Boots spin-off movie though simply because it's about the damn cat.

I'm not a movie critic so I dunno