‘Shrek’ creators embrace fractured fairy tales

updated 4:01 p.m. ET May 14, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Ogres as romantic heroes and princess brides. Cinderella as a neurotic clean freak. Snow White as a bossy know-it-all. Puss in Boots hacking up hairballs. Pinocchio with a leaf still growing off his wooden lie-detector nose.

These are not animation godfather Walt Disney’s fairy tales.

The “Shrek” films, whose latest installment hits theaters Friday, have made blockbuster business out of subverting classic children’s stories, presenting lovably goofy alter egos out of shiny knights and fair damsels and maybe bringing them a little closer to our own not-so-happily-ever-after reality.

“My guess is that in the essence of what these characters originally were, they probably were more complex,” said “Shrek the Third” producer Aron Warner. “In the last however many years, one side of them has been shown, and it’s the more shiny, happy, everything’s perfect side.

“I think that frustrates people whose lives don’t in any way, shape or form reflect that. There’s a kind of joy and willingness to see the other side, see them undone. In a way, see them more like ourselves. If you really knew Snow White, you’d know there’s more to her than just the happy-go-lucky singing girl in the forest.”

“I hope so, because that girl would be crazy,” added director Chris Miller. “That’s my notion of a lunatic.”

Since 2001’s “Shrek” and its 2004 sequel “Shrek 2,” there have been animated imitators, cartoon comedies such as “Chicken Little,” “Hoodwinked” and “Happily N’Ever After” that have added their own twists to the fractured fairy-tale world.

None have done it with such ambition as the land of “Shrek,” where a donkey can marry a dragon, a fairy godmother can hatch evil plots and a frog king and a human queen can have an ogre for a daughter.

‘You can’t harm the original’
“Shrek the Third” continues the saga of cantankerous ogre Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers), his equally ogre-ish bride Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and their pals, the maniacally chatty Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and the suave, swellheaded Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).

Video: ‘Shrek the Third’ Mike Myers: ‘I feel lucky’ May 9: "Shrek" in the flesh talks about Austin Powers, Gilda Radner and his childhood dream with TODAY host Matt Lauer. ‘Shrek 3’ Cameron Diaz on Justin: 'We're friends' Princesses of ‘Shrek 3’ ‘Shrek the Third’ trailer

Other returning characters include comic variations of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, Pinocchio, the Gingerbread Man and the villainous Prince Charming (Rupert Everett).

The new film also brings in such fabled figures as King Arthur (Justin Timberlake), magician Merlin, Captain Hook and a fairy-tale A-list of princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel.

“The good thing is, you can’t harm the original image. You’re never going to really take away from Sleeping Beauty or Snow White,” said Julie Andrews, whose early roles included a TV musical production of “Cinderella” in the late 1950s and who provides the voice of Fiona’s mom, Queen Lillian.

Slideshow   Celebrity sightings 'Shrek the Third' stars celebrate; Paris is jail-bound; Luke Wilson winds up. more photos

Those vintage princesses get a huge makeover as Fiona becomes mentor, teaching her fairer cousins not to wait around for their princes to come but to mix it up like action heroes when Prince Charming seizes control of the kingdom.

Diaz said the “Shrek” films retain the best qualities of fairy-tale figures while infusing them with contemporary wit, style and relevance.

“We do love those girls. We want to bring them with us. But now they have a whole new life. They can exist in our current culture, our pop culture again,” Diaz said. “Where before, they were forgotten. It’s a celebration of them. It’s a rebirth.”

“It’s almost like a ‘fairy-tales where are they now’ special,” said Cheri Oteri, who provides the voice of Sleeping Beauty. “Like Jack Be Nimble, whatever happened to him?”

MORE FROM MORE NEWS AND OTHER FEATURES

Hollywood convicted in ‘Alpha Dog’ slaying

Hollywood convicted in ‘Alpha Dog’ slaying Jolie trumps Aniston atop actress earning list Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden dies at 97 And the new Oscar voters are ... ‘Do The Right Thing’ still resonates Academy toughens rules for best song Oscars doubling best-picture nominees to 10 Six Transformers that could use an upgrade Newsweek: Best picture noms who could have been   Add More news and other features headlines to your news reader: