Shrek (2001) – Nostalgia Central

The grumpy, reclusive green ogre Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers, recycling the thick Scottish accent he used as Fat Bastard in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) is unhappy that his swamp has been overrun with fairy tale characters who have been banished from their homes in Lord Farquaad’s kingdom.

He now has blind mice in his butter, a big bad wolf in his bed, and Snow White and Cinderella mud wrestling in the front yard.

So Shrek makes a deal with the tyrannical Lord Farquaad (voiced by John Lithgow): The ogre will rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a faraway tower (where she is guarded by a fire-breathing dragon) for the tiny tyrant, who, in exchange, will relocate the offending creatures.

Accompanying Shrek on his trek is a relentlessly fast-talking donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), who teaches the cranky ogre to warm up.

The computer animation for the film took more than four and a half years to complete. Directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson had to pioneer entirely new technology while navigating major production disasters.

The principal actors never met each other. They all read their parts separately, with a reader feeding them the lines. Comedian Chris Farley was the original voice of Shrek. He recorded 85% to 95% of his dialogue before his tragic death in late 1997.

The film spawned a massive franchise for DreamWorks Animation, including Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010).

Shrek received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

Shrek (voice)
Mike Myers
Donkey (voice)
Eddie Murphy
Princess Fiona (voice)
Cameron Diaz
Lord Farquaad (voice)
John Lithgow
Monsieur Hood (voice)
Vincent Cassel
Captain of the Guards (voice)
Jim Cummings
Baby Bear (voice)
Bobby Block
Geppetto/Magic Mirror (voice)
Chris Miller
Pinnochio/Three Pigs (voice)
Cody Cameron
Peter Pan (voice)
Michael Galasso
Blind Mouse/Thelonious (voice)
Christopher Knights

Director
Andrew Adamson
Vicky Jenson

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