Dreamworks Animation Project- Shrek: Pop Song Montages Everywhere!

Well, after many weeks of waiting (Sorry), may I now present to you the 5th installment of...

The Dreamworks Animation Project!! OH YEAH!!

This week is the ever popular, 2001 film Shrek.


                                        WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE, 
                                                          SKIP TO THE END WHERE I GIVE THE SCORE!

What is a better way to start off a movie, but with a disgusting displayed of horrendous grossness. I'm serious, this beginning is just plain gross. And...that's partly okay because the person (or rather thing) that is partaking it this grossness, is an ogre. This ogre's name is Shrek. He lives in a house inside of a swam. There he lives his life out; eating eyeballs and taking showers in the mud.

But, one day, this all changes. Shorty, Lord Farquaad, the not-so-much king of Dulac, acquires all of the freaks, a.k.a fairy-tales creatures, and sends them to Shrek's swamp. Why? Because where else would he put them! Anyway, the fairy-tale people are being sold into slavery.

Along with them, a donkey named Donkey is being sold because he is supposed talk. He gets away and is apparently saved by Shrek, who was actually just trying to set up some warning signs near his swamp. Donkey follows him home. Back at the swamp, the freaks are dropped off. Shrek doesn't like this at all, and goes to demand his swamp back. Donkey tags along because he is the only one who knows how to get there. Meanwhile, Farquaad is interrogating a gingerbread man ( later named Gingy) in search of the rest of the fairy-tale creatures.

He is interrupted, and is brought a magic mirror. He asks if his kingdom is the most perfect, and receives the answer, "No," because he really isn't the king. But, the mirror has some good news, he can become a king by marring a princess. We have a very enjoyable game-show style "choose your bride."

He chooses a maiden named Fiona who is inside a tower guarded by a dragon, surrounded by lava. He, being the short and weak man he is, decides to have someone else do this deed for him. Shrek and Donkey arrive at the castle. The tournament is already in progress. As soon as Shrek walks in, the guards try to apprehend him, but from the power of pop music, Shrek is able to defeat them. Farquaad is impressed, and assigns Shrek the task at hand in exchange for his swamp. Shrek agrees and makes his way to the tower that holds the beautiful princess, Fiona. Donkey and Shrek travel many a mile, until running into castle of doom.

After crossing the bridge, Donkey stays behind to watch while Shrek goes for the princess. They don't find the princess, instead they find the dragon! Chasing ensues, and Shrek is thrown into the princess' tower. Running and chasing and flirting dragons, and more running and chasing happens. After all that, they make it to the other side of the bridge. Fiona, who is very eager to see who her champion is, asks Shrek to take his helmet off. As he does so, Fiona is not-so-much shocked as dismayed when she finds that he is an ogre.

Shrek explains about Lord Farquaad and that she is to marry him. With a little push, Fiona agrees to go with them. They begin their journey, but when it gets dark, Fiona wants to make camp for the night. Fiona makes a home inside a cave while Shrek and Donkey talk under the stars.

Morning comes, and they start on their journey again. While walking, Robin Hood and his Merry Men try to "save" Fiona from the big scary ogre, but Fiona does so super neat kung-fu moves on them.

Shrek is surprised, and even more so when she appears to act, not like a princess, but more like...something else...Fiona and Shrek start to fall in love through a pop song montage and make disgusting balloon animals out of real animals. They reach a meadow where they are able to see Farquaad's castle. Fiona, clearly not wanting to go yet, makes an excuse and is able to stay for one last night. Conveniently, there's a windmill right there for her to stay the night in. Donkey confronts Shrek about his feelings toward Fiona and how he is in love with her. Shrek denies it and runs away to sulk. Donkey goes in to talk to Fiona about Shrek, but finds, not a human Fiona, but an ogre Fiona.

Fiona explain that she was cursed long ago, and now, every night, she turns into an ogre. She also says that she needs to marry Farquaad so that she can look the "way a princess is supposed to look." Shrek wants to tell Fiona about how he feels, but overhears her talking about "princess and ugly don't go together." Shrek thinks she is talking about him, and decides to call Lord Farquaad out to meet her. And just when she was going to tell him, too. Oh well. Farquaad asks her to marry her, she agrees, but only if they have the wedding today before sunset.

Fiona leaves, and Shrek yells at Donkey thinking he really isn't his friend. Sadness happens through a pop song montage. Donkey comes to the conclusion that half the swamp belongs to him because he also helped saved the princess. Donkey explains that Fiona wasn't talking about him when Shrek overhear them. Shrek wants to get Fiona back, so Donkey calls his good friend Dragon. She takes them to Duloc just as the wedding is taking place. Shrek brakes in and sorta tells her that he loves her. She waits for the sun to go down (which it very quickly does so). As soon as she turns into an ogre, Farquaad orders them to be arrested. Thankfully though, Dragon comes in and eats Farquaad whole.

Shrek and Fiona have true loves first kiss, and Fiona transforms into love's true form, which is...an ogre. Fiona is disappointed because she isn't beautiful. But, Shrek comforts her by saying that she is, indeed, beautiful; at least in his eyes, which is all that counts. They get married and live happily ever after. We then end with what Dreamsworks is know for, let me hear you say it--DANCE PARTY!

Pros-

This is probably Dreamworks most famous film (The only one that would come close would be How to Train Your Dragon). Shrek made it big at the box office and has basically made Dreamworks a known corporation; compared with companies such as Pixar and Disney. And while I can't at all say this is my favorite Dreamworks Animation film, I can see why people like it so much. It is very charming. Get it? Charming! That being said, it is a very imperfect movie, but it does have its good points.

For example, the characters. These characters are unforgettable. And no, I'm not just talking about Donkey. Most people enjoy this movie solely because of him. But, I have to disagree. I enjoy all of the characters. Shrek, for one, is a very deep character. The way they animate him is so clever. They don't just make him a mean, ugly ogre. They almost make him look like a big green human. Fiona is a favorite. She is sorta like Ginger from Chicken Run; very feisty. Donkey, of course, is the comedian of the group. But, he almost never goes over the line and starts being annoying. He is actually quite funny. But, my favorite character has to be Lord Farquaad. For the time he is on here, he is just hilarious! He almost make you sad when he is eaten.

The animation for the most part is good, but sometimes looks almost plastic, which is something I don't think they were going for.

Cons-

This movie is suppose to be the big dis to Disney. But, I really didn't get that from this movie. It was more of just making fun of fantasy and fairy-tales in general. It didn't pinpoint Disney as they do sometimes in later films.

We'll get to that movie later.

But, if it did, that wouldn't necessarily make me like it more, I was just pointing it out.   

Anyway, the main thing that is wrong with this film is the story. Well, not really the story, but more of the way that it's put it together. It feels very thrown together. Almost like they had these ideas, but didn't know how to connect them all. The scenes with mixed-communication makes me just want to pull my hair out. The reasons why they are mixed up are just so dumb in a way. And the reason Fiona won't stay with Shrek is dumb as well. It feels very weird at time. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it really is noticeable.

Also...the pop song montages! They have so many of these! SO...MANY! They frankly get annoying. 

And, as I said, some of the animation doesn't hold up as well as it probably did in 2001.

The last thing I want to mention is just a nitpick, but who and why did someone curse Fiona. I want to see a movie made about this. They never say. They just say that it was a witch. Why did the witch curse her? When? How? Questions that need to be answered! 

Final Thoughts-

Most of you have probably already seen this, but if you are a fan of Dreamworks, go ahead and give it a watch. If you like comedies, give it a watch. If you like parody films with good strong characters, give it a watch. Just watch it okay!

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Story- 6/10

The story as a whole is very simple and okay, but the way it's put together needs work.

Main Characters- 9/10

I really love all these characters. Some that I will never forget.

Side Characters- 7/10

Most of the side character aren't very interesting until you get to the sequels.

Villain- 9/10

Love Lord Farquaad!

Effects/Animation- 6/10 

Some of it was okay, but most of it falls short.

Songs/Score- 6/10

Score had an adventure/fantasy feel to it that really fits the film perfectly. But those pop songs! UHH!

Entertainment Factor- 8/10

Movie feels very short and is quite entertaining for the most part.

Total Score- 73%

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Next time on Dreamworks Animation Project...