Shrek report

Shrek Report

14/04/2022

Shrek is not an average family cartoon. It is jolly and wicked, somehow possessing a heart. Shrek is a 2001 animated comedy film and it stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow as the voices of the lead characters. The film parodies other fairy tale adaptations, primarily aimed at animated Disney films.

The story begins with the main character, Shrek, an ogre who is living in a swamp surrounded by "Keep Out" and "Beware the Ogre!" signs. He is pretty lonely and seems to get along with it. But when the solitude of his swamp is disturbed by a sudden invasion of creatures who have been banished from Lord Farquaad's kingdom, he gets really angry and then decides to negotiate with Lord Farquaad so that these creatures leave his swamp.

The plot involves Lord Farquaad's desire to wed the Princess Fiona, and his reluctance to slay the dragon that stands between her and would-be suitors. He therefore hires Shrek to attempt the mission. On his mission, Shrek is joined by the Donkey, who always makes us laugh and never stops talking. All along the way, we are captivated by puns, contemporary jokes and references, and countless references to other films.

Shrek, from the very start, is a complete contradiction. The hero is an ogre, the damsel in distress is an ogre in a princess’s body who can fight like a ninja, a talking donkey falls in love with a dragon and the so-called handsome prince is the evil villain and is extremely short. The film is obviously a satire of classic tales. Many of these creatures bear a curious correspondence to Disney characters: The Three Little Pigs, Tinkerbell, the Big Bad Wolf and Pinocchio.

The film is narrated in such an original and very modern way that it still makes people laugh years later. The scene between Lord Farquaad and the gingerbread man for example. Lord Farquaad tortures the gingerbread man cutting out the gingerbread man legs but this one yields only when Lord Farquaad wants to remove a button from his coat.

What I find really unique in Shrek is that this movie makes you laugh as a child but also as an older one. Indeed, many adult references or jokes are only noticeable by watching the film years after seeing it as a child. The film is therefore made for all ages and is timeless because 21 years after its release it's still just as popular, especially on Netflix. Everyone still talks about it and makes memes around the film. In the end, Shrek is loveable and endearing because he's not as horrible as he thinks and we see that through his actions.

That's why I suggest this movie, it's funny, captivating, original and for all ages. It is an affordable English, since it is intended for children but also aimed at students due to the hidden jokes.

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