Prince Charming (Shrek)

Prince Charming is a character in the Shrek franchise of films, appearing in Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third. He is voiced by Rupert Everett. He gains only brief mention in Shrek, in which Princess Fiona reveals that she thought she would be rescued by "Prince Charming", while he has a much larger role in Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third. According to the image of a typical "Prince Charming" his look is somewhere near to "ideal". His most remarkable asset is his "soft and bouncy hair".[1]

Character history

Shrek 2

In his first scene in Shrek 2, he travels to the castle where Fiona had been imprisoned prior to the first movie, only to discover that Shrek has already found her and married her, and that the Big Bad Wolf (without any explanation to how the wolf got there in the first place) has taken to sleeping in her tower. His narration in this scene, as well as his conversation with the Wolf, reveal the most important aspects of the plot from the first film.

It is later revealed that Charming is in fact the son of the Fairy Godmother, and that the two of them want him to marry Fiona so that he can become king (similar to Lord Farquaad's intentions from the first movie). As such, in contrast to his fairytale namesake, this version of Prince Charming plays a more villainous role. He is characterised as something of a selfish mother's boy, and she his doting parent, as well as vain about his appearance. Later in the movie, he deceives Fiona into believing that he is Shrek, having been turned human by a "Happily Ever After" potion. Nevertheless, his foul attitude shines through the disguise and Fiona realises the truth before the end of the movie. At the end, he is forced into tackled by the ugly bartender who runs The Poisoned Apple.

Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third finds Charming, as the new main antagonist, stuck in the theatre, rather a stage in a bar, playing himself. Despite being the hero of his own play, the audience cheers when the Shrek character comes on stage. Finally, in a version of a Buster Keaton gag, a prop tower falls on Charming, but he escapes injury as the window passes around him. Charming leaves the theatre upset, and vows to his recently deceased mother that he'll become the King of Far, Far Away. He organizes an army of classic film villains, all upset that they've not gotten their 'happily ever after.' While Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots are in search of the heir to the Kingdom, Fiona holds off a coup d’etat by Prince Charming. Upon Shrek's return he is captured by the Prince. He places Shrek in the play, now being performed in an auditorium before the entire kingdom. Shrek begins to ruin it by making a fool of Charming. As he is about to kill Shrek on stage, Fiona and the others burst in. Before a confrontation ensues, Artie, the new heir, convinces the villains to give up their evil ways. Charming refuses and attacks Shrek, but misses. Shrek throws him before Dragon, who tips over another tower -- this one made of stone. He may have escaped injury through the tower's window, as he had earlier, or he may have gotten crushed and died.

External links

• [2]
• [3] Prince Charmings "soft and bouncy" hair!