Donkey is also different he talks like any other traditional fairy tale character but he is annoying to shrek this is unusual because a traditional talking donkey would help the main character, donkey helps a bit but otherwise he irritates shrek. Donkey makes the movie seems more funny and it makes the viewers get more involved because of his character, I think he is very funny but I also think that he could be a bit more timid
Also princess Fiona has the same bad manners as shrek, shrek burps and then Fiona burps louder and when Robin Hood captures her she rescues herself by fighting off the kidnappers instead of shrek doing it. Fiona can be very helpful sometimes tough like when she makes breakfast for all of them and before she goes to bed she makes a little cave for herself or a windmill. She is very polite to shrek because when they are eating rats you can see she doesn’t like them but she tells shrek she does anyway, but what shrek doesn’t know is her secret, she is also an ogre at night.
The villages are very traditional they all wear old clothes and the guards all wear armour this makes the film seem more realistic and makes younger viewers get into the story. But its not just the main characters that are different like lord farquaad talks to the mirror, its like a blind date were a voice over comes on and it tells farquaad about 3 princesses so he can be king it makes the movie very funny.
It is also he actions as well as features that are different, like when they are in Dulock they have a fight but instead of a proper fight with swords they have a wrestling match instead. Donkey helps a bit which is unusual because a sidekick normally sits and watches. Also when they are fighting the dragon, the dragon takes donkey away with her, and right at the end at the wedding the dragon eats lord farquaad instead of the hero killing him, and the audience read of cards like they do on modern T.V shows.
Different camera angles can cause different effects the director has to choose what sort of picture is going to fill the screen at each point of the film. Like when shrek roars at donkey to try and scare him away, the screen goes really close up to shrek and saliva gets on the end. This is called a close up and it makes shreks emotions seem scarier because you can see all the features on his face. Also when lord farquaad is going into the dungeon to torture the gingerbread man it does a pan shot from right to left it makes lord farquaad seem really big but really he is very small. I think this is very clever. When shrek goes back to the swamp with donkey it shows a long shot this shows you were you are and it sets the seen, then you might know what’s coming next. Also when shrek goes to fight the dragon you see through shreks eyes; you see what he sees; he puts on the helmet and the visor drops down this gets you more into the action and makes you more involved. Also again at the start when donkey comes to meet shrek, shrek says, “ what am I? ” and the camera angle starts at shreks feet up to his belly and finally his head and donkey says, “ really really tall?” this shot is called an upwards shot. I think it makes the movie funny.
But its not just angles that are important, there is music too. Like right at the start it uses modern music, it makes you feel good and it puts you into the mood of the movie, but different music makes different emotions, like fast music makes it more thrilling and oldie music shows you that they are bored like they are on the quest to the dragons castle. When they are at the castle it uses short simple music to make you feel curious you don’t know what will happen next.
Sound effects also do this; they make the movie come to life. Like thunder would make you scared and a clash of metal would tell you that there was a fight on. But when shrek roars it used spur of the moment sounds that are loud they make you scared.
Finally I think that the movie is very clever it shows people how you think they are but it shows what they are underneath. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The best character in the film is donkey he is very funny and makes the movie more enjoyable
By Sam Hinchliffe
