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{{Infobox film
 
{{Infobox film
 
|title = Shrek
 
|title = Shrek
|image = [[File:Shrek Poster 02.jpg|250px]]
+
|image = [[File:1754181-b.jpg|250px]]
 
|caption = The movie poster
 
|caption = The movie poster
 
|length = 1 hour 30 minutes
 
|length = 1 hour 30 minutes
|released = April 22 2001 (Cannes)
+
|released = April 22, 2001 (Cannes)
 
May 18, 2001 (wide)
 
May 18, 2001 (wide)
 
|dvdrelease = November 2, 2001
 
|dvdrelease = November 2, 2001
|genre = Fantasy/adventure
+
|genre = Fantasy/adventure/comedy
 
|director = [[Andrew Adamson]]<br/>[[Vicky Jenson]]
 
|director = [[Andrew Adamson]]<br/>[[Vicky Jenson]]
 
|producer = [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]]<br/>[[Aron Warner]]<br/>[[John H. Williams]]<br>[[Steven Spielberg]]
 
|producer = [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]]<br/>[[Aron Warner]]<br/>[[John H. Williams]]<br>[[Steven Spielberg]]
 
|starring = [[Mike Myers]]<br/>[[Eddie Murphy]]<br/>[[Cameron Diaz]]<br/>[[John Lithgow]]
 
|starring = [[Mike Myers]]<br/>[[Eddie Murphy]]<br/>[[Cameron Diaz]]<br/>[[John Lithgow]]
|preceded = ''None''
 
 
|succeeded = [[Shrek 2]]
 
|succeeded = [[Shrek 2]]
 
}}
 
}}
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'''''Shrek''''' is the first feature film in the [[Shrek (franchise)|''Shrek'' franchise]], starring [[Mike Myers]], [[Eddie Murphy]], [[Cameron Diaz]], and [[John Lithgow]].
 
'''''Shrek''''' is the first feature film in the [[Shrek (franchise)|''Shrek'' franchise]], starring [[Mike Myers]], [[Eddie Murphy]], [[Cameron Diaz]], and [[John Lithgow]].
   
The film was critically acclaimed as an animated film worthy of adult interest, with many adult-oriented jokes and themes, but a simple enough plot and humor to appeal to children. It made notable use of pop music—the soundtrack includes music by Smash Mouth, Eels, Joan Jett, the Proclaimers, Jason Wade, the Baha Men, and Rufus Wainwright.
+
The film was critically acclaimed as an animated film worthy of adult interest, with many adult-oriented jokes and themes, but a simple enough plot and humor to appeal to children. It made notable use of pop music—the soundtrack includes music by [[Smash Mouth]], Eels, Joan Jett, the Proclaimers, Jason Wade, the Baha Men, and Rufus Wainwright.
   
 
The film was extremely successful upon release in 2001 and it helped establish DreamWorks as a prime competitor to Disney and Pixar in the field of feature film animation, particularly in computer animation. Furthermore, Shrek was made the mascot for the company's animation productions.
 
The film was extremely successful upon release in 2001 and it helped establish DreamWorks as a prime competitor to Disney and Pixar in the field of feature film animation, particularly in computer animation. Furthermore, Shrek was made the mascot for the company's animation productions.
   
It was the 3rd highest grossing movie of the year behind ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' and ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''.
+
It was the fourth highest grossing movie of the year behind ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', and ''Monsters, Inc''. It was also the second highest grossing '''Animated''' movie of the year (right behind ''Monsters Inc.'').
   
In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", making it the first DreamWorks Animation film to earn that honer and the first ever non Disney animated feature to be in inducted as well. It was also the first work of animation from the 21st century to be inducted also.
+
In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", making it the first DreamWorks Animation film to earn that honer and the first ever non-Disney animated feature to be in inducted as well. It was also the first work of animation from the 21st century to be inducted also.
   
 
== Plot summary ==
 
== Plot summary ==
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The movie begins at [[Shrek (character)|Shrek]]'s [[swamp]]. [[Shrek (character)|Shrek]] (Mike Myers) takes a mud shower and then travels into the woods to hang up signs to keep people away from his land. Shrek decides to travel the country to see Lord [[Farquaad]] try to regain his privacy, but an energetic and talkative donkey named [[Donkey]] (Eddie Murphy) who escaped from [[Duloc Guards|guards]] who went after him, and was saved by Shrek, tags along. The two make it to Farquaad ([[John Lithgow]])'s palace in [[Duloc]] and come across a [[Duloc Knights|knight]] tournament to decide who will rescue [[Princess Fiona]] from a castle surrounded by lava and protected by [[Dragon|a fire-breathing dragon]] so that Farquaad may marry her. Shrek and Donkey easily best the other knights, and Farquaad agrees to nullify his order if Shrek goes on to rescue Fiona ([[Cameron Diaz]]), a deal that Shrek agrees to.
 
The movie begins at [[Shrek (character)|Shrek]]'s [[swamp]]. [[Shrek (character)|Shrek]] (Mike Myers) takes a mud shower and then travels into the woods to hang up signs to keep people away from his land. Shrek decides to travel the country to see Lord [[Farquaad]] try to regain his privacy, but an energetic and talkative donkey named [[Donkey]] (Eddie Murphy) who escaped from [[Duloc Guards|guards]] who went after him, and was saved by Shrek, tags along. The two make it to Farquaad ([[John Lithgow]])'s palace in [[Duloc]] and come across a [[Duloc Knights|knight]] tournament to decide who will rescue [[Princess Fiona]] from a castle surrounded by lava and protected by [[Dragon|a fire-breathing dragon]] so that Farquaad may marry her. Shrek and Donkey easily best the other knights, and Farquaad agrees to nullify his order if Shrek goes on to rescue Fiona ([[Cameron Diaz]]), a deal that Shrek agrees to.
   
Shrek and Donkey travel to the [[Dragon's Keep|Dragon's keep]] and split up to find Fiona. Donkey manages to encounter the dragon ([[Frank Welker]]; uncredited), sweet-talking the beast to save himself when he finds out the dragon is a female, and she takes a liking to Donkey, taking him back to her chambers. When Shrek finds Fiona, she is appalled at his lack of romanticism. As they're leaving, Shrek manages to save Donkey, caught in the dragon's tender love, and making the dragon become irate, chasing Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey out of the castle, but unable to follow.
+
Shrek and Donkey travel to the [[Dragon's Keep]] and split up to find Fiona. Donkey manages to encounter the dragon ([[Frank Welker]]; uncredited), sweet-talking the beast to save himself when he finds out the dragon is a female, and she takes a liking to Donkey, taking him back to her chambers. Disguised as a [[Knights|knight]], Shrek rescues Fiona from [[Princess Fiona's Tower|her tower]], though she is appalled at his lack of romanticism. As they're leaving, Shrek manages to save Donkey, caught in the dragon's tender love, and making the dragon become irate, chasing Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey out of the castle, but unable to follow.
   
 
At first, Fiona is thrilled to be rescued but quickly becomes disgusted to find out that Shrek is an ogre. The three make their return journey to Farquaad's castle, with Shrek and Fiona finding they have more in common with each other along the way, and falling in love. However, at night, Fiona doesn't want to camp with Shrek and Donkey, taking shelter in a nearby cave until the next morning. The next night, Fiona takes shelter in a nearby windmill. When Donkey hears strange noises coming from the windmill, he finds that Fiona has turned into an ogress. Fiona explains that she was cursed as a kid and turns into an ogress every night, which is why she was locked away in the castle, and that only a kiss from her true love will return her to her proper form. Shrek overhears them talking, and, thinking that they're talking about him being ugly, walks off angry and heartbroken, believing that she can't accept his appearance. Fiona promises Donkey to not tell Shrek, vowing to do it herself, but when the next morning comes, Lord Farquaad has arrived, led by a still angry Shrek, and he returns with her to the castle, while Shrek returns to the now-vacated [[Shrek's Swamp|swamp]].
 
At first, Fiona is thrilled to be rescued but quickly becomes disgusted to find out that Shrek is an ogre. The three make their return journey to Farquaad's castle, with Shrek and Fiona finding they have more in common with each other along the way, and falling in love. However, at night, Fiona doesn't want to camp with Shrek and Donkey, taking shelter in a nearby cave until the next morning. The next night, Fiona takes shelter in a nearby windmill. When Donkey hears strange noises coming from the windmill, he finds that Fiona has turned into an ogress. Fiona explains that she was cursed as a kid and turns into an ogress every night, which is why she was locked away in the castle, and that only a kiss from her true love will return her to her proper form. Shrek overhears them talking, and, thinking that they're talking about him being ugly, walks off angry and heartbroken, believing that she can't accept his appearance. Fiona promises Donkey to not tell Shrek, vowing to do it herself, but when the next morning comes, Lord Farquaad has arrived, led by a still angry Shrek, and he returns with her to the castle, while Shrek returns to the now-vacated [[Shrek's Swamp|swamp]].
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* Christopher Knights as [[Thelonius]]
 
* Christopher Knights as [[Thelonius]]
 
* [[Aron Warner]] as [[Big Bad Wolf]]
 
* [[Aron Warner]] as [[Big Bad Wolf]]
* [[Jim Cummings]] as [[Captain of the Guards|Captain of the Duloc Guards]]
+
*[[Jim Cummings]] as [[Captain of the Duloc Guards]]
* [[Vincent Cassell]] as [[Monsieur Hood]]
+
*[[Vincent Cassel|Vincent Cassell]] as [[Monsieur Hood]]
 
* [[Renee Sands]] as Princess Fiona (singing voice)
 
* [[Renee Sands]] as Princess Fiona (singing voice)
 
* [[Kathleen Freeman]] as [[The Old Woman]] (Donkey's ex-owner)
 
* [[Kathleen Freeman]] as [[The Old Woman]] (Donkey's ex-owner)
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==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
*In 2001, ''Shrek'', ''Monsters Inc.'', and ''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' were nominated in the 2001 best animation award and ''Shrek'' won.
+
*In 2001, ''Shrek'', ''Monsters Inc.'', and ''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' were the first films nominated at the Academy Awards for "Best Animated Feature" and ''Shrek'' won. Making Shrek the first animated film to win an Oscar. It is also the only DreamWorks Animation film so far to win an Oscar.
  +
*Eddie Murphy become the first person nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the BAFTA for a voice performance
   
 
*When Fiona is in the cave, she can slightly be seen in her ogre form.
 
*When Fiona is in the cave, she can slightly be seen in her ogre form.
   
 
*Over 1,000 fairy tale and nursery rhyme creatures invade Shrek's swamp.
 
*Over 1,000 fairy tale and nursery rhyme creatures invade Shrek's swamp.
*In the beginning of the film, all three bears from Goldilocks and the Three Bears are present. However, the second time one sees them, the boy is crying, the father is holding him, and the mother is nowhere to be seen. Later in the film, when the camera pans into Lord Faarquad's room, the mother's skin can be seen as a rug, implying that the mother was taken from the family by Farquaad and killed.
+
*In the beginning of the film, all three bears from Goldilocks and the Three Bears are present. However, the second time one sees them, the boy is crying, the father is holding him, and the mother is nowhere to be seen. Later in the film, when the camera pans into Lord Farquaad's room, the mother's skin can be seen as a rug, implying that the mother was taken from the family by Farquaad and killed.
 
*The film has been featured in the 2007 Warner Bros. film, ''I Am Legend''.
 
*The film has been featured in the 2007 Warner Bros. film, ''I Am Legend''.
*In the swamp party after the movie, Lord farquaad was shown to be still alive in the dragon.
+
*In the swamp party after the movie, Lord Farquaad was shown to be still alive in the dragon (although he possibly got digested shortly after and perished).
*The only film of the series not to be released the same year as another Dreamworks Animation film outside of the franchise.
+
*The only film of the series not to be released the same year as another DreamWorks Animation film outside of the franchise.
*This is the only ''Shrek'' film to not have any scenes set in [[Far Far Away]].
+
*This is the only ''Shrek'' film to not have any scenes set in [[Far Far Away]], as it hasn't been introduced until the next movie.
  +
*This is also the only film to not have Shrek with different clothes as on the other movies he has different ones excluding his Human Version and keeps the same clothes during the movie.
  +
*''Shrek'' was 1 of the 5 CGI Animated Films to be released in 2001, the other 4 being "''Monster's Inc''." , "''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius''", "''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''", & "''The Living Forest''".
  +
*Mama bear can be seen alive and well in the Swamp karaoke dance party, despite her being made into a rug by Lord Farquaad.
   
 
==Production==
 
==Production==
The idea for a film based off the original ''Shrek'' book was first thought of by Steven Speilberg, whom before the founding of Dreamworks bought the rights to the film in 1991. The film would be traditionally animated and would cast Bill Murray as Shrek, Steve Martin as Donkey, and Robin Williams (unknown). When Dreamworks was founded in 1994, producer John H. Williams brought the book to the company, and after Dreamworks bought the rights in 1995, the film was put into active development.
+
The idea for a film based off the original ''Shrek'' book was first thought of by Steven Speilberg, whom before the founding of DreamWorks bought the rights to the film in 1991. The film would be traditionally animated and would cast Bill Murray as Shrek, Steve Martin as Donkey, and Robin Williams (unknown). When DreamWorks was founded in 1994, producer John H. Williams brought the book to the company, and after DreamWorks bought the rights in 1995, the film was put into active development.
   
 
Some sketches of Shrek were done in 1996-1997 using Photoshop, where they showed Shrek living in a [http://shardlowart.blogspot.com/2010/05/shreks-house-early-concepts.html# garbage dump] near a human village called Wart Creek. At one time it was thought that he lived with his parents and kept rotting fish in his bedroom.
 
Some sketches of Shrek were done in 1996-1997 using Photoshop, where they showed Shrek living in a [http://shardlowart.blogspot.com/2010/05/shreks-house-early-concepts.html# garbage dump] near a human village called Wart Creek. At one time it was thought that he lived with his parents and kept rotting fish in his bedroom.
   
[[Chris Farley]] was originally going to be the voice of Shrek, being able to record 80% to 90% of the character's dialogue (or what his brother Tom believes 95%) before his death. Dreamworks later re-casted Mike Myers to voice Shrek, who then decided to re-record his lines in a Scottish accent.
+
[[Chris Farley]] was originally going to be the voice of Shrek, being able to record 80% to 90% of the character's dialogue (or what his brother Tom believes 95%) before his death. DreamWorks later re-casted Mike Myers to voice Shrek, who then decided to re-record his lines in a Scottish accent.
   
The film was originally planned to be a motion capture film, with unsatisfactory results. Katzenberg said "It looked terrible, it didn't work, it wasn't funny, and we didn't like it." The company later made a visit to PDI in 1998 to help Shrek get its final computer animated look.
+
The film was originally planned to be a motion capture film slated for a 1999 release. With unsatisfactory results, Katzenberg said "It looked terrible, it didn't work, it wasn't funny, and we didn't like it." The company later made a visit to PDI in 1998 to help Shrek get its final computer animated look and the film was pushed back to 2001.
  +
 
== Soundtrack ==
   
==Soundtrack==
 
 
* {{song|Stay Home}} - [[Self (band)|Self]] - the first song in the end credits
 
* {{song|Stay Home}} - [[Self (band)|Self]] - the first song in the end credits
* {{song|I'm a Believer|Smash Mouth}} - the end of the film when Shrek and Fiona get married
+
* {{song|I'm a Believer|Smash Mouth}} - the end of the film when Shrek & Fiona get married and go on their [[Shrek 2|honeymoon]].
 
* {{song|Like Wow!|Leslie Carter}} - the third song in the end credits
 
* {{song|Like Wow!|Leslie Carter}} - the third song in the end credits
 
* {{song|It Is You (I Have Loved)}}- [[Dana Glover (singer)|Dana Glover]] - the fourth and last song in the end credits
 
* {{song|It Is You (I Have Loved)}}- [[Dana Glover (singer)|Dana Glover]] - the fourth and last song in the end credits
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* {{song|True Love's First Kiss}} - [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] & [[John Powell]]
 
* {{song|True Love's First Kiss}} - [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] & [[John Powell]]
   
  +
<br />
==Gallery==
 
<gallery>
 
   
  +
== Critical Response ==
File:Shrek 2001 poster.jpg
 
  +
    The film received massive critical acclaim upon release, with many calling it one the best films of 2001 .Roger Ebert praised the film, giving it four stars out of a possible four and describing it as "jolly and wicked, filled with sly in-jokes and yet somehow possessing a heart".  ''USA Today''<nowiki/>'s Susan Wloszczyna praised Eddie Murphy's performance, stating it "gives the comic performance of his career, aided by sensational digital artistry, as he brays for the slightly neurotic motormouth". Richard Schickel of ''Time'' also enjoyed Murphy's role, stating "No one has ever made a funnier jackass of himself than Murphy." Peter Rainer of ''New York magazine'' liked the script, also stating "The animation, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, is often on the same wriggly, giggly level as the script, although the more "human" characters, such as Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad, are less interesting than the animals and creatures—a common pitfall in animated films of all types."  Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote "''Shrek'' is a world-class charmer that could even seduce the Academy when it hands out the first official animation Oscar next year." James Berardinelli of ''ReelViews''gave the film three and a half stars out of four, saying "''Shrek'' is not a guilty pleasure for sophisticated movie-goers; it is, purely and simply, a pleasure." Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote "The witty, fractured fairy tale ''Shrek'' has a solid base of clever writing." Lisa Schwarzbaum of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the film an A-, saying "A kind of palace coup, a shout of defiance, and a coming of age for DreamWorks." Jay Boyar of the ''Orlando Sentinel'' wrote "It's a pleasure to be able to report that the movie both captures and expands upon the book's playful spirit of deconstruction.
File:Shrek swamp 2001.png
 
File:Shrek-lord-farquaad-tortures-gingy-2001.jpg
 
File:Shrek fiona windmill duloc.jpg
 
File:Shrek outhouse.jpg
 
File:Shrek-disneyscreencaps.com-97.jpg
 
File:Shrek-disneyscreencaps.com-3961.jpg
 
File:Shrek 2001 wallpaper 1.png
 
File:Shrek 2001 wallpaper 3 wide.jpg
 
File:Shrek Robin Hood scene
 
File:Fiona fight robin hood.png
 
File:Sherk Donkey.jpg
 
File:Shrek donkey onions.jpg
 
File:Shrek welcome duloc donkey.jpg
 
File:Shrek 2001 EUR Bluray Remux 1080p AVC TrueHD 7 1-BMF.mkv snapshot 00.30.08 -2020.09.23 14.37.07-.png
 
File:Fairytale creatures in shrek swamp.png
 
File:Wanted.. fairy tale creatures.png
 
   
  +
== Accolades ==
  +
The film has since received many awards and nominations following its release the following it's release.
  +
  +
The following are just. the most notable ones.
  +
  +
==== 2002 Academy Awards ====
  +
  +
* Best Animated Feature '''(WON)'''
  +
* Best Adapted Screenplay(Nominated)
  +
  +
==== 2002 Golden Globes ====
  +
  +
* Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Nominated)
  +
  +
==== 2002 British Academy Film Awards ====
  +
  +
* Best Adapted Screenplay'''(WON)'''
  +
* Best Film Nominated)
  +
* Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy (Nominated)
  +
* Best Sound (Nominated)
  +
* Best visual effects (Nominated)
  +
  +
==== 2002 Annie Awards ====
  +
  +
* Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature '''(WON)'''
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production '''(WON)'''
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score an Animated Feature Production '''(WON)'''
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production '''(WON)'''
  +
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production '''(WON)'''
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production '''(WON)'''
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production:Eddie Murphy '''(WON)'''
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation (Nominated)
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation(Nominated)
  +
* Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production (Nominated)
  +
  +
==== American film institute ====
  +
  +
* Winner of AFI's Top 10 films of 2001 list
  +
  +
* Ranked Number 8 on American film institutes to ten greatest American animated films of all time.
  +
*Nominee for AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list
  +
*Nominee for AFI's 100 Years...100 for the song I'm a Believer
  +
*Nominee for AFI's top 100 Greatest American films of all time list
  +
  +
==== National Film Preservation Board, USA ====
  +
  +
* 2020 National Film Registry inductee
  +
 
==Gallery==
 
<gallery widths="168">
 
Shrek outhouse.jpg
 
Shrek swamp 2001.png
  +
Donkey chair swamp waffles.jpg
 
Fairytale creatures in shrek swamp.png
  +
244216-shrek-3000x1808.jpg
  +
Bachelorette choosing.png
  +
Lord Farquaad and mirror.png
 
Shrek welcome duloc donkey.jpg
  +
Shrek duloc tournament champion knights.png
 
Shrek donkey onions.jpg
  +
Dragon's Keep view.png
  +
Dragon meets Donkey.png
  +
Fiona awakens tower.png
  +
Shrek rescue.png
  +
159440633 2b78dc.jpg
  +
Shrek prince charming helmet.png
  +
Shrek carrying fiona.jpg
  +
159440638 4cee34.jpg
 
Shrek fiona windmill duloc.jpg
  +
159440641 5c8b6c.jpg
  +
Windmill fiona.png
  +
Farquaad wedding.png
  +
Duloc cathedral wedding fight.png
  +
Fiona wedding.png
 
Shrek 2001 poster.jpg
  +
Shrek 2001 wallpaper.jpg
 
Shrek 2001 wallpaper 1.png
  +
Shrek 2001 wallpaper 2.jpg
 
Shrek 2001 wallpaper 3 wide.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 
[[es:Shrek (película)]]
 
[[es:Shrek (película)]]
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[[Category:Shrek]]
 
[[Category:Shrek]]
 
[[Category:Media]]
 
[[Category:Media]]
  +
[[Category:2001]]

Revision as of 15:22, 5 October 2021

Shrek
1754181-b
The movie poster
General information
Title

Shrek

Length

1 hour 30 minutes

Release Date

April 22, 2001 (Cannes) May 18, 2001 (wide)

Release on DVD

November 2, 2001

Genre

Fantasy/adventure/comedy

Production information
Directed by

Andrew Adamson
Vicky Jenson

Produced by

Jeffrey Katzenberg
Aron Warner
John H. Williams
Steven Spielberg

Starring

Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Cameron Diaz
John Lithgow

Preceded by: Succeeded by:
Unknown Shrek Shrek 2
You may be looking for Shrek (character) or Shrek (series).

Shrek is the first feature film in the Shrek franchise, starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow.

The film was critically acclaimed as an animated film worthy of adult interest, with many adult-oriented jokes and themes, but a simple enough plot and humor to appeal to children. It made notable use of pop music—the soundtrack includes music by Smash Mouth, Eels, Joan Jett, the Proclaimers, Jason Wade, the Baha Men, and Rufus Wainwright.

The film was extremely successful upon release in 2001 and it helped establish DreamWorks as a prime competitor to Disney and Pixar in the field of feature film animation, particularly in computer animation. Furthermore, Shrek was made the mascot for the company's animation productions.

It was the fourth highest grossing movie of the year behind Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and Monsters, Inc. It was also the second highest grossing Animated movie of the year (right behind Monsters Inc.).

In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", making it the first DreamWorks Animation film to earn that honer and the first ever non-Disney animated feature to be in inducted as well. It was also the first work of animation from the 21st century to be inducted also.

Plot summary

The movie begins at Shrek's swamp. Shrek (Mike Myers) takes a mud shower and then travels into the woods to hang up signs to keep people away from his land. Shrek decides to travel the country to see Lord Farquaad try to regain his privacy, but an energetic and talkative donkey named Donkey (Eddie Murphy) who escaped from guards who went after him, and was saved by Shrek, tags along. The two make it to Farquaad (John Lithgow)'s palace in Duloc and come across a knight tournament to decide who will rescue Princess Fiona from a castle surrounded by lava and protected by a fire-breathing dragon so that Farquaad may marry her. Shrek and Donkey easily best the other knights, and Farquaad agrees to nullify his order if Shrek goes on to rescue Fiona (Cameron Diaz), a deal that Shrek agrees to.

Shrek and Donkey travel to the Dragon's Keep and split up to find Fiona. Donkey manages to encounter the dragon (Frank Welker; uncredited), sweet-talking the beast to save himself when he finds out the dragon is a female, and she takes a liking to Donkey, taking him back to her chambers. Disguised as a knight, Shrek rescues Fiona from her tower, though she is appalled at his lack of romanticism. As they're leaving, Shrek manages to save Donkey, caught in the dragon's tender love, and making the dragon become irate, chasing Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey out of the castle, but unable to follow.

At first, Fiona is thrilled to be rescued but quickly becomes disgusted to find out that Shrek is an ogre. The three make their return journey to Farquaad's castle, with Shrek and Fiona finding they have more in common with each other along the way, and falling in love. However, at night, Fiona doesn't want to camp with Shrek and Donkey, taking shelter in a nearby cave until the next morning. The next night, Fiona takes shelter in a nearby windmill. When Donkey hears strange noises coming from the windmill, he finds that Fiona has turned into an ogress. Fiona explains that she was cursed as a kid and turns into an ogress every night, which is why she was locked away in the castle, and that only a kiss from her true love will return her to her proper form. Shrek overhears them talking, and, thinking that they're talking about him being ugly, walks off angry and heartbroken, believing that she can't accept his appearance. Fiona promises Donkey to not tell Shrek, vowing to do it herself, but when the next morning comes, Lord Farquaad has arrived, led by a still angry Shrek, and he returns with her to the castle, while Shrek returns to the now-vacated swamp.

Shrek soon realizes that despite his privacy, he's miserable and misses Fiona. Donkey shows up to tell him that Fiona will be getting married shortly, urging Shrek into action to gain Fiona's true love. The duo travel to the fortress quickly, thanks to Dragon, who escaped her confines and followed Donkey. They interrupt the wedding before Farquaad can kiss Fiona, but not before the sun sets, making Fiona turn into an ogress in front of everyone. Angry over the change, Lord Farquaad orders his guards to kill Shrek and Fiona, but Shrek calls Dragon and she gobbles up Farquaad whole, making the guards run away in terror while the crowd cheers for the death of their tyrannical lord. Shrek and Fiona admit their love for each other and share a kiss; Fiona is bathed in light as her curse is broken, but making her a real ogre, the form that she wasn't expecting, but that Shrek still finds beautiful. The two get married and depart on their honeymoon, living "ugly ever after" and ending the film.

Cast

Shrek 1 Title Screen

Non-speaking characters include Snow White, Cinderella, the Pied Piper, and several other characters (and thus, they are uncredited).

Trivia

  • In 2001, Shrek, Monsters Inc., and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius were the first films nominated at the Academy Awards for "Best Animated Feature" and Shrek won. Making Shrek the first animated film to win an Oscar. It is also the only DreamWorks Animation film so far to win an Oscar.
  • Eddie Murphy become the first person nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the BAFTA for a voice performance
  • When Fiona is in the cave, she can slightly be seen in her ogre form.
  • Over 1,000 fairy tale and nursery rhyme creatures invade Shrek's swamp.
  • In the beginning of the film, all three bears from Goldilocks and the Three Bears are present. However, the second time one sees them, the boy is crying, the father is holding him, and the mother is nowhere to be seen. Later in the film, when the camera pans into Lord Farquaad's room, the mother's skin can be seen as a rug, implying that the mother was taken from the family by Farquaad and killed.
  • The film has been featured in the 2007 Warner Bros. film, I Am Legend.
  • In the swamp party after the movie, Lord Farquaad was shown to be still alive in the dragon (although he possibly got digested shortly after and perished).
  • The only film of the series not to be released the same year as another DreamWorks Animation film outside of the franchise.
  • This is the only Shrek film to not have any scenes set in Far Far Away, as it hasn't been introduced until the next movie.
  • This is also the only film to not have Shrek with different clothes as on the other movies he has different ones excluding his Human Version and keeps the same clothes during the movie.
  • Shrek was 1 of the 5 CGI Animated Films to be released in 2001, the other 4 being "Monster's Inc." , "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius", "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within", & "The Living Forest".
  • Mama bear can be seen alive and well in the Swamp karaoke dance party, despite her being made into a rug by Lord Farquaad.

Production

The idea for a film based off the original Shrek book was first thought of by Steven Speilberg, whom before the founding of DreamWorks bought the rights to the film in 1991. The film would be traditionally animated and would cast Bill Murray as Shrek, Steve Martin as Donkey, and Robin Williams (unknown). When DreamWorks was founded in 1994, producer John H. Williams brought the book to the company, and after DreamWorks bought the rights in 1995, the film was put into active development.

Some sketches of Shrek were done in 1996-1997 using Photoshop, where they showed Shrek living in a garbage dump near a human village called Wart Creek. At one time it was thought that he lived with his parents and kept rotting fish in his bedroom.

Chris Farley was originally going to be the voice of Shrek, being able to record 80% to 90% of the character's dialogue (or what his brother Tom believes 95%) before his death. DreamWorks later re-casted Mike Myers to voice Shrek, who then decided to re-record his lines in a Scottish accent.

The film was originally planned to be a motion capture film slated for a 1999 release. With unsatisfactory results, Katzenberg said "It looked terrible, it didn't work, it wasn't funny, and we didn't like it." The company later made a visit to PDI in 1998 to help Shrek get its final computer animated look and the film was pushed back to 2001.

Soundtrack


Critical Response

    The film received massive critical acclaim upon release, with many calling it one the best films of 2001 .Roger Ebert praised the film, giving it four stars out of a possible four and describing it as "jolly and wicked, filled with sly in-jokes and yet somehow possessing a heart".  USA Today's Susan Wloszczyna praised Eddie Murphy's performance, stating it "gives the comic performance of his career, aided by sensational digital artistry, as he brays for the slightly neurotic motormouth". Richard Schickel of Time also enjoyed Murphy's role, stating "No one has ever made a funnier jackass of himself than Murphy." Peter Rainer of New York magazine liked the script, also stating "The animation, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, is often on the same wriggly, giggly level as the script, although the more "human" characters, such as Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad, are less interesting than the animals and creatures—a common pitfall in animated films of all types."  Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote "Shrek is a world-class charmer that could even seduce the Academy when it hands out the first official animation Oscar next year." James Berardinelli of ReelViewsgave the film three and a half stars out of four, saying "Shrek is not a guilty pleasure for sophisticated movie-goers; it is, purely and simply, a pleasure." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote "The witty, fractured fairy tale Shrek has a solid base of clever writing." Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A-, saying "A kind of palace coup, a shout of defiance, and a coming of age for DreamWorks." Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel wrote "It's a pleasure to be able to report that the movie both captures and expands upon the book's playful spirit of deconstruction.

Accolades

The film has since received many awards and nominations following its release the following it's release.

The following are just. the most notable ones.

2002 Academy Awards

  • Best Animated Feature (WON)
  • Best Adapted Screenplay(Nominated)

2002 Golden Globes

  • Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Nominated)

2002 British Academy Film Awards

  • Best Adapted Screenplay(WON)
  • Best Film Nominated)
  • Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy (Nominated)
  • Best Sound (Nominated)
  • Best visual effects (Nominated)

2002 Annie Awards

  • Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score an Animated Feature Production (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production:Eddie Murphy (WON)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation (Nominated)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation(Nominated)
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production (Nominated)

American film institute

  • Winner of AFI's Top 10 films of 2001 list
  • Ranked Number 8 on American film institutes to ten greatest American animated films of all time.
  • Nominee for AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list
  • Nominee for AFI's 100 Years...100 for the song I'm a Believer
  • Nominee for AFI's top 100 Greatest American films of all time list

National Film Preservation Board, USA

  • 2020 National Film Registry inductee

Gallery