User:TheJoebro64/drafts/Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. It was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman. Loosely based on the 1990 William Steig picture book Shrek!, the film tells the story of Shrek (Mike Myers), a mean-spirited ogre whose swamp is overrun by fairy tale creatures exiled by the corrupt Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). To reclaim his swamp, Shrek embarks on a journey with a talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), whom Farquaad intends to marry so he can become a king.
DreamWorks Pictures co-founder Steven Spielberg bought the adaptation rights to Shrek! in 1991. He originally planned to produce a traditionally-animated film based on the book, but John H. Williams convinced him to bring the film to DreamWorks in 1994. After obtaining the rights from Spielberg, in 1995 Jeffrey Katzenberg placed Shrek in active development. Chris Farley was originally cast as the voice of Shrek and recorded nearly all of the required dialogue before his death in 1997. Myers, Farley's Saturday Night Live colleague, stepped in to replace him, resulting in a script rewrite. Shrek was intended to be animated through the use of motion capture technology, but after poor test results, DreamWorks hired Pacific Data Images to produce the animation.
Shrek was released on May 18, 2001, to critical acclaim and commercial success. It was praised for featuring adult-oriented humor and themes, while catering to children at the same time. The voice cast—particularly Murphy—was also praised. The film earned $484.4 million against a $60 million production budget, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2001. Shrek received various awards and nominations. At the 74th Academy Awards ceremony, it won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also earned six award nominations from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), ultimately winning Best Adapted Screenplay.
The success of Shrek established DreamWorks as a prime competitor to Pixar in feature film computer animation. It also spawned a lucrative multimedia franchise including three sequel films—Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010)—along with two holiday specials, a 2008 stage musical, the spin-off film Puss in Boots (2011), comics, theme park attractions, and video games.
Plot
[edit]| Voice actor | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Myers | Shrek | |
| Eddie Murphy | Donkey | |
| Cameron Diaz | Princess Fiona | |
| John Lithgow | Lord Farquaad |
Shrek is an antisocial and highly territorial ogre who relishes in the solitude of his swamp. Shrek's life is interrupted when Lord Farquaad, ruler of the land of Duloc, exiles hundreds of fairy tale creatures to the swamp, including a talkative Donkey whom Shrek befriends. Angered, Shrek resolves to ask Farquaad to exile them elsewhere, bringing Donkey along as he is the only one willing to guide him to Duloc.
In Duloc, Farquaad's guards present him with the Magic Mirror. Farquaad asks the Mirror if Duloc is the fairest kingdom of them all, but is told that he is not a king and must marry a princess to become one. Farquaad resolves to marry Princess Fiona, who is locked in a castle tower. Unwilling to rescue her himself, Farquaad organizes a tournament wherein the winner gets the "privilege" of rescuing Fiona for him. Shrek and Donkey arrive during the tournament and ignorantly defeat Farquaad's knights. Farquaad proclaims them the champions, and compels them under threat of death to rescue Fiona, promising to move the fairy tale creatures from Shrek's swamp if he succeeds.
Shrek and Donkey travel to the castle and are attacked by a Dragon, who corners Donkey. In desperation, he sweet-talks the beast, learning that it is female. Dragon falls in love with Donkey and carries him to her chambers. Meanwhile, Shrek finds Fiona, who is appalled by his lack of romanticism and chivalry. They leave after rescuing Donkey, and Fiona is thrilled to be rescued but is quickly disappointed when Shrek reveals he is an ogre. Despite her demands that Farquaad come get her in person, Shrek forcibly carries her as he ventures back to Duloc with Donkey. At night, Shrek explains to Donkey his frustration at how society judges him for how he looks; Fiona overhears this, and decides to be kind to Shrek. Shrek and Fiona find they have much in common and begin to fall in love.
When the trio is almost at Duloc, Fiona takes shelter in a windmill for the evening. Donkey hears strange noises from within and investigates, finding Fiona transformed into an ogress. Fiona reveals that she was cursed during childhood to transform every night, and that only true love's kiss will change her to "love's true form". Meanwhile, Shrek plans to confess his feelings to Fiona, but then overhears part of their conversation and becomes upset after mistaking her calling herself an "ugly beast" as disgust towards him. At Donkey's suggestion, Fiona vows to tell Shrek about her curse, but Shrek brings Farquaad to the windmill before she can. Confused and hurt by Shrek's sudden cold disposition towards her, Fiona accepts Farquaad's marriage proposal and requests they be married before nightfall. The couple return to Duloc, while Shrek angrily abandons Donkey and returns to his now-vacated swamp.
Donkey arrives at the swamp and confronts a still upset Shrek. Donkey explains that the "ugly beast" Fiona was referring to was someone else, and the two reconcile. Donkey urges Shrek to express his feelings for Fiona before she is married, and the two travel to Duloc by riding Dragon, who had escaped her confines and followed Donkey. Shrek interrupts the wedding before Farquaad can kiss Fiona; he tells her that Farquaad is not her true love and is only marrying her to become king. The sun sets, which turns Fiona into an ogress in front of everyone, causing a surprised Shrek to understand what he overheard. Outraged, Farquaad orders Shrek executed and Fiona detained. Dragon bursts in alongside Donkey and devours Farquaad alive.
Shrek and Fiona profess their love and share a kiss, and Fiona's curse is lifted. While Fiona is surprised and disappointed to see that she is still an ogress despite the fact that she was supposed to become beautiful, Shrek states that she already is beautiful. They marry in the swamp and leave on their honeymoon.