Sunday, July 7, 2019

Shrek 2 (2004)

This is the second installment in the series
Summary
-After rescuing Princess Fiona from eternity in a tall tower and marrying her, it's time for Shrek to meet her parents. Shrek, Donkey and Fiona go to Far Far Away, where her parents live. While Shrek and the King struggle to get along, secretly Prince Charming, who was supposed to rescue the princess, works with his mother, a fairy godmother, to break Fiona and Shrek apart







Cast
-Mike Myers: Shrek
-Eddie Murphy: Donkey
-Cameron Diaz: Princess Fiona
-Julie Andrews: Queen Lillian
-John Cleese: King Harold
-Antonio Banderas: Puss in Boots
-Rupert Everett: Prince Charming
-Jennifer Saunders: Fairy Godmother
-Aron Warner: Wolf
-Cody Cameron: Pinnochio / Three Pigs
-Conrad Vernon: Gingerbread Man
-Larry King: Ugly Stepsister

Did You Know?
-When Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots are walking through the Fairy Godmother's factory, the employees are putting bottles on the conveyor belt. One of the bottles reads "Viagra"

-It was a pure coincidence when there was a poster of a Sir Justin Timberlake in the movie. No one had any idea that Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake were actually dating in real life. Justin would have a role playing Arthur in Shrek the Third

-Jennifer Saunders, who voiced the Fairy Godmother, did all her own singing for the movie
-In the police chase scene, there are references to a "white Bronco". This refers to the famous slow-motion highway chase which involved police officers chasing O.J. Simpson in a white Ford Bronco. The camera work and appearance also mimic the show Cops.

-The song "Changes", originally by David Bowie, was re-recorded by an artist named Butterfly Boucher for the movie. David Bowie was so impressed with this version of the song that he provided backing vocals on this version

-When Donkey, Shrek and Fiona left for Far Far Away, Donkey starts singing "Rawhide". Eddie Murphy ad libbed this and producers kept it in the movie

-To make sure his interpretation of Puss in Boots was accurate, Antonio Banderas, who owns several cats, studied them, studied their movements

-John Cleese and Julie Andrews recorded their lines together to get the right mood for their characters. This is considered unusual for an animated movie

-When the giant Gingerbread Man (Mongo) is hit with the flaming catapult ball, the roar it lets off is the same roar used by the original Japanese Godzilla

-William Steig, who wrote the book the movie is based on, died during the production of this movie

-When Shrek turns in to a human after drinking the potion, the human form resembles Mike Myers
-When the Fairy Godmother gives the King a potion to give to Fiona, the symbol on it is IX, which is the Roman numeral for 9. This makes it Love Potion No. 9, which is a popular song

-When Shrek and Donkey find the factory where the Fairy Godmother works, Donkey says "It's the old Keeble Place", referring to the Keebler Elves

-When Puss in Boots first comes after Shrek, he carves a P in to the tree. This is a reference to the movie The Mask of Zorro, where Antonio Banderas plays the title role.

-There are loads of references to the Lord of the Rings in this movie. One is the scene where Shrek gives Fiona a ring that comes from a fire and says, in the same type of Elvish font, "I love you" with the same type of cinematic angle. Another is The Poison Apple Tavern is similar to the inn from the movie, The Prancing Pony seen in The Fellowship of the Ring. The last one is in the first Shrek movie, the castle in which Fiona is held captive is in a mountain that resembles Mount Doom in Mordor

-There are references to Indiana Jones as well. The first one is when Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots are escaping the factory, Puss in Boots grabs his hat just in time for the door to close. This is a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In the movie, Indiana reaches for his fedora hat before a door in a trap in the temple closes. Another reference is when the potion barrel is knocked over, this also references Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In that movie, Thugee cult leader Mola Ram has his assistants knock over a large barrel of water to chase Indy down a mine shaft.

-The pictures seen in the halls of the castle are of real kings and queens. In one picture is Queen Elizabeth I
-Fiona can be seen wearing an Irish Claddagh necklace when she is talking to her dad after Shrek and Donkey meet Puss in Boots. Typically, Irish Claddagh symbols can be worn as a necklace or ring and they symbolize friendship, love and loyalty.

-The billboard showing the Fairy Godmother is a spoof of the famous Hollywood billboard showing model Angelyne

-When this movie was released in the UK, some parents were worried because the Fairy Godmother uses the word "bloody", which some consider to be an offensive word in the UK

-When Jennifer Saunders was doing this movie, she was also recording Absolutely Fabulous. She had to do her vocal recordings in England
-Actor Jonathan Pryce was considered for the role of King Harold

-Cloris Leachman was considered for the role of Queen Lillian

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