the pre-opening credits sequence in which effeminate,
narcissistic Prince Charming (voice of Rupert Everett) stormed
the Dragon's castle tower believing that he was rescuing Princess
Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz) - but found the Big Bad Wolf (dressed
in grandmother's clothing), reading Pork Illustrated
the opening credits sequence highlighting Shrek (voice
of Mike Myers) and Fiona's honeymoon, with dozens of rapid-fire cultural
and filmic references (from From Here to
Eternity (1953) to The Little Mermaid (1989) to The
Lord of the Rings trilogy) and visual gags -- all heard to the
tune of the Counting Crows' Oscar-nominated song
"Accidentally in Love"
the "Are we there yet?" scene with an extremely
impatient Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy) voicing his boredom in an
onion carriage during their journey to Far, Far Away (the Hollywood/Beverly
Hills-inspired town with Farbucks and Old Knavery, and other similar
stores)
the stunned reaction of the crowd to ogres Shrek and
Fiona -- punctuated by a distracted dove crashing into the castle
wall
the Meet the Parents (2000)-inspired strained
dinner party with Fiona's shocked royal parents King Harold (voice
of John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (voice of Julie Andrews)
the plotting Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer
Saunders) singing the "Fairy Godmother Song" to newlywed
Fiona - a bouncy parody of "Be Our Guest" from Beauty
and the Beast (1991)
the Fairy Godmother's scheme to kill Shrek and marry
Fiona to her rich son Prince Charming
the memorable, swashbuckling, Spanish-accented, Zorro-like
Puss In Boots assassin (voice of Antonio Banderas): ("Pray for
mercy from Puss-in-Boots!")
also, the scene of a TV show called KNIGHTS - a parody
of the TV show COPS - culminating with Puss In Boots caught
possessing an illegal narcotic - catnip
Shrek's drinking of a Happily Ever After Potion that
turned him into a hunky man (and transformed Donkey into a white
stallion to his personal delight - "I'm trotting!") --
as well as Fiona changing back to her original human form
the Academy Awards red-carpet parody, complete with
Joan Rivers (as Herself)
Fairy Godmother's fantastic The Fabulous Baker
Boys (1989)-inspired, cabaret-style rendition of "Holding
Out For a Hero"
Donkey and Puss In Boots' concluding celebratory
rendition of
"Livin' La Vida Loca" (with Puss' homage to the chair water-dousing
from Flashdance (1983))