Prince Charming (Shrek)

Template:Shrek character Prince Charming (known as King Charming in Shrek the Third while ruling) is a character in the Shrek franchise of films, appearing in Shrek 2 as a supporting antagonist and in Shrek the Third as the main villain. He is voiced by Rupert Everett. According to the image of a typical "Prince Charming" his look is somewhere near to "ideal". For example, he has "soft and bouncy hair".

Prince Charming in the Shrek films

Shrek

Although he does not appear physically in the film, he gains a brief mention in which Princess Fiona reveals that she thought she would be rescued by "Prince Charming", and at the end when it shows him too late to rescue her.

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 characterized as a selfish and arrogant 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 kissing Doris, the ugly bartender (Cinderella's stepsister) who runs The Poisoned Apple. However, it is implied that Charming is dating her in Shrek the Third because he goes by the bar looking for her. He also sings "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred in Far Far Away Idol, although during the song Shrek and Fiona press a button opening the trap door below him due to his horrible singing.

Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third finds Charming (in his final appearance in a Shrek film), 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 goes to his "dressing room", in reality the back alley behind the bar. There he vows to his mother that he'll become the King of Far, Far Away. He organizes an army of classic fairy tale 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'état 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 (for Charming) by making a fool of the Prince. As he is about to kill Shrek on stage, Fiona and the others burst in. Before a confrontation ensues, Artie, the true heir, convinces the villains to give up their evil ways. Charming refuses and apparently stabs Shrek but, as Shrek reveals to the others, he is completely unharmed; Charming (with his bad aim) merely stuck the sword between the ogre's arm and side. Finally, Charming is defeated when he is killed due to Dragon knocking over a stone tower which falls on top of him.

External links

• Shrek 2 (official site)