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dijous, 25 d'abril de 2024

The Return of Shrek: Cinema's Most Famous Ogre

> King' Shrek?

> A Back-to-Front Fairytale

> The Formula for Success

dijous, 21 de juny de 2007

The big screen's most famous ogre is back. This Friday, 22 June, sees the Catalan premiere of 'Shrek the Third', the third instalment in this animated box-office saga to be shown in Catalan in twenty-five cinemas.

In terms of box-office takings, 'Shrek the Third' is following in the footsteps of the previous Shrek movies. Just a week's advertising was enough in the United States and Canada to make it the most successful animated film in history. However, reception by the critics was lukewarm and more reserved than the unanimous acclaim given to the earlier films. For example, one critic said that, while 'Shrek the Third' still had hilarious situations and characters, it had lost its acidity, its wit.

As for voices, the star-studded cast again includes (like 'Shrek' and 'Shrek 2'): Mike Myers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, Rupert Everett as Prince Charming, etc.

'Shrek the Third' is produced by DreamWorks Animation which, since the first Shrek film was released in 2001, has built itself up as the great rival to Disney.

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King' Shrek?

+ In 'Shrek the Third', the green ogre faces the prospect of becoming king.

In 'Shrek the Third', the green ogre has to reluctantly abandon his placid, tranquil and beloved swamp owing to reasons beyond his control: the death of his father in law, King Harold, father of his wife Fiona. Faced with the prospect of becoming king (something which does not amuse Shrek in the slightest), Shrek and his faithful friends Donkey and Puss in Boots quickly set about finding a substitute in the kingdom of Far Far Away. They find one in the figure of Fiona's cousin Artie, a rather bone-idle medieval student. Things get even more complicated owing to Prince Charming's desire to become king, taking advantage of the power vacuum in Far Far Away.

A Back-to-Front Fairytale

+ Shrek is irreverent and a far cry from traditional fairytales.

Shrek is irreverent and a far cry from traditional fairytales. The ogre is not in the least bit evil; more of a bad-tempered loner although, at the same time, also tender and peace-loving with a big heart. Prince Charming, on the other hand, is driven by a thirst for power and fame and doesn't hesitate to align himself with treacherous characters for his own ends. Then there are the princesses who also bear little resemblance to the traditional image of a princess. The princesses in Shrek have virtues and defects, manias and eccentricities, like any other human being.

The Formula for Success

+ The princesses bear little resemblance to the traditional image of a princess.

This irreverent, demythologising tone is one of the reasons behind the success of the films that appeal to children, teenagers and adults alike. To this we can add three more reasons: the constant references to popular history and culture, the appearance of legendary characters from famous stories (Merlin the Magician, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, the Three Little Pigs, etc.), and the quality of the animation, which supplies the action with a strong sense of reality.

MATERIALS

Shrek the Third
Format:Web
Pàgina oficial: sinopsi, 'trailers', descàrregues, jocs, accés a les pàgines dels dos primers films...
DreamWorks Animation SKG
Format:Web
Companyia productora de Shrek i de més films d'animació per ordinador.
Shrek
Format:Web
La saga fílmica, a la Wikipedia.
Shrek the Third
Format:Web
Especial de Yahoo!
L'animació
Format:Web
A l'edu365.cat. Comprèn produccions animades, fetes per escolars d'uns quants centres docents.
Agenda de cinema
Format:Web
En català.

QUE HO SABIES?

In 'Shrek the Third', the ogre and Princess Fiona appear as parents with triplets.
Work is already underway on 'Shrek 4' and 'Shrek 5', scheduled for release in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
Shrek is based on a story dating back to 1990 by the American cartoonist William Steig, who died in 2003.