Hirohiko Araki, creator of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, is widely known for having his own somewhat quirky taste in music, art and fashion -- but is placing Shrek in his top 20 suspense films of all time a quirk too far?In his book Hirohiko Araki's Super-Favorites! Rules of Movies, the acclaimed author espouses his appreciation for Dreamwork Animation's Shrek, placing it in the eighth spot on “Araki's Best 20 Suspense Films†between Heaven Can Wait and Fargo. The 2013 book has not received an official English translation, but fans have given some segments the treatment, including a paragraph that details Araki's appreciation for the 2001 film.The paragraph in question, translated on Twitter by JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia, begins under the heading “'Shrek,' Challenging the Rules of Fairy Tales.†Araki urges his readers to watch the film about a misunderstood Ogre and his donkey pal who embark on a quest to rescue a princess, fighting tropes along the way.“It has been perfected to a level of excellence, and I consider it the greatest masterpiece in animation history,†said Araki.
Shrek is, in fact, considered an animated classic, boasting a star-studded cast of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. The film has warranted several sequels, television specials and theme park attractions. But calling it a "suspense film" may be a task even a motivated Ogre couldn't perform.
Looking at Araki's list reveals that his understanding of what a suspense film is may be rather broad. Suspense can also be deemed a "Thriller," the purpose being to build tension, anticipation and dread as the film progresses. Araki's number one film on his list, Heat, evokes such thrill as the movie's heist unfolds. Fargo, which sits at the ninth spot, is a character-forward crime thriller in which a man is ultimately fed into a wood chipper; the shocking climactic scene following masterful tension building. Shrek, on the other hand, eventually fights an amorous dragon, and in true fairy tale fashion, rescues the princess.
While the film is certainly more comedy than thriller, comparisons to other films that appear on Araki's list can be made with eyes strongly squinted. Araki's third favorite suspense film, Taken, follows one man on a mission to save his daughter, somewhat similar to Shrek's journey to rescue the princess from her imprisonment. Lord Farquaad of Duloc outright tortures the Gingerbread Man, reminiscent of the brutal torture scene from Araki's runner-up favorite thriller, Reservoir Dogs, exchanging Stealers Wheel's “Stuck in the Middle With You†for “All Star†by Smash Mouth. Following her successful rescue, Fiona, Shrek and Donkey begin a treacherous journey home, a dangerous undertaking which oddly mirrors Araki's second favorite suspense film, The Great Escape -- minus the World War II prison camp setting.
Given his penchant for making odd decisions in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, such as naming characters for famous musicians and building suspense by being unable to determine when and where Dio will appear, Araki's list of suspense movies is as varied as he himself. If one watches Shrek in a sugar-fueled marathon preceded by The Unforgiven and Psycho and followed by Dirty Harry and Eyes Wide Shut, perhaps Shrek and his wacky antics will seem more menacing, dangerous and wild. Or maybe it's just Araki's way of being true to himself as manga's most eccentric celebrity.