''Shrek 4-D'' (also known as ''Shrek 3-D'' for the DVD release and ''The Ghost of Lord Farquaad'' for the Shrek's Thriller Tales DVD release and DreamWorks Spooky Stories Blu-ray release,

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

and other streaming releases) is a computer-animated 4D film based on the Shrek franchise created by DreamWorks Animation, itself based on the book by

William Steig William Steig (November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book '' Shrek!'', which inspired the film series of the same name, as well as others that i ...

. It also is (and was) a 4D

simulator ride Simulator rides are a type of amusement park or fairground ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen. There are many types but they fall into the heading of entertainment unlike the ...

attraction with motion-based effects and water sprayers located at various theme parks around the world. It is currently shown at

Universal Parks & Resorts Universal Parks & Resorts, also known as Universal Studios Theme Parks or solely Universal Theme Parks, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme par ...

in Japan,

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, and previously in Universal Studios

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

and Hollywood, where it closed on August 14, 2017, in Hollywood to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre attraction while the one in Orlando closed on January 10, 2022 to be replaced by Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast. Outside the Universal parks, the movie was shown at

Movie Park Germany Movie Park Germany is a theme park in Bottrop-Kirchhellen in western Germany, north of Düsseldorf, with an area of . It consists of 7 areas based on movies and TV series. Nearby the park are several film studios. History The park originally ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

from May 2008 until July 2011, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia from September 2005 until August 2010. A spin-off attraction titled '' Donkey's Photo Finish'' is located at the Florida venue while ''

Meet Shrek and Donkey ''Shrek 4-D'' (also known as ''Shrek 3-D'' for the DVD release and ''The Ghost of Lord Farquaad'' for the Shrek's Thriller Tales DVD release and DreamWorks Spooky Stories Blu-ray release, Netflix and other streaming releases) is a computer-animat ...

'' is located at the Hollywood venue. In Universal Studios Japan (where it is known as ''Shrek's 4-D Adventure''), the attraction is shown in the same theater as

Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic (titled Sesame Street Presents Lights Camera Imagination! 4-D at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Williamsburg parks, and Sesame Street Film Festival 4-D at Busch Gardens Tampa) is a 4D film theme park attraction located a ...

, with the Shrek 4-D film shown for the first half of the day, and the Sesame Street film shown for the second half of the day. The film, set after the events of the first film, follows

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...

and Donkey as they attempt to rescue

Princess Fiona Fiona is a fictional character in DreamWorks' ''Shrek'' franchise, first appearing in the animated film ''Shrek'' (2001). One of the film series' main characters, Fiona is introduced as a beautiful princess placed under a curse that transforms ...

from

Lord Farquaad Lord Maximus Farquaad is the main antagonist of the 2001 animated feature film ''Shrek'', as well as ''Shrek 4-D'' and the musical. He is voiced by John Lithgow. He does not appear in William Steig's original picture book of the same name. I ...

's ghost, who plots to capture her. The ride takes guests on a journey alongside Shrek and Donkey during their rescue mission.

Plot

Immediately after the events of the first film, the spirit of Lord Farquaad returns from the dead to capture

and it is up to

and Donkey to rescue her. Upon Shrek and Donkey searching around the local graveyard, Farquaad sends a stone statue of Dragon from his tomb to go after them and kill them. Fortunately, the real Dragon arrives to the rescue, leading to a chase scene (featuring the sound of a

TIE fighter The Twin Ion Engine (TIE) fighter is a series of fictional starfighters featured in the ''Star Wars'' universe. TIE fighters are depicted as fast, agile, yet fragile starfighters produced by Sienar Fleet Systems for the Galactic Empire and by ...

's blaster from ''Star Wars'' when Dragon shoots a fireball to create a tunnel in a cliff face), ending with the stone dragon losing its wings against the walls of a hole and falling into the water below. Lord Farquaad sends Fiona on a raft to fall over the waterfall (with Thelonious still on it, not realizing he was supposed to get off). Fiona manages to break the restraints and knees Thelonious in the groin, causing him to fall off the raft. Shrek and Donkey arrive shortly after to rescue her before the raft plunges over the waterfall, but in the end, all four of them fall over the waterfall, only to be saved by Dragon, who then (under Donkey's orders) breathes fire at Farquaad, seemingly destroying him again. Dragon gives Shrek and Fiona a ride to the Honeymoon Hotel, and she and Donkey ride off to have a honeymoon of their own. Shrek and Fiona's honeymoon is interrupted by the Fairy Tale creatures, but they go along with it. Everyone celebrates after Shrek says "Let The Honeymoon Begin!", who then pops the cork off champagne, sending one of the fairies flying with the cork.

Cast

English cast

Mike Myers Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywoo ...

* Eddie Murphy as Donkey *

Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. With a variety of works in film, she is widely recognised for her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz has received various accolades, including nominations for ...

* John Lithgow as

Conrad Vernon Conrad Vernon (born July 11, 1968) is an American voice actor, director, writer, and storyboard artist best known for his work on the DreamWorks animated film series ''Shrek'' as well as other films such as '' Monsters vs. Aliens'', '' Madagascar ...

Gingerbread Man A gingerbread man or a Gingerbread man cookie is a biscuit or cookie made from gingerbread, usually in the shape of a stylized form / caricature of a human being, although other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, et ...

Cody Cameron Cody William Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American voice actor, film director and storyboard artist best known for directing '' Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2''. He voiced many animated characters, including Pinocchio and the Three ...

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

The Three Little Pigs "The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house t ...

* Christopher Knights as

Thelonious Thelonious is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Fred Thelonious Baker (born 1960) English guitarist * Thelonious Bernard (born 1964) French actor * Thelonious Martin (born 1992) or King Thelonious, American Hip Hop record prod ...

Three Blind Mice "Three Blind Mice" is an English-language nursery rhyme and musical round.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 306. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number o ...

* Chris Miller as Magic Mirror

History

Amusement park integration

In May 2002, it was announced that

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...

and

Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City while the rest lies w ...

would be getting Shrek 4-D. That same month, the Florida location announced the closure of

The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera ''The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera'' is an American animated syndicated programming block produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that ran on a weekly schedule and was performed in live action. The program ran from 1985 to 1994. Overview The ...

and Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies. Shrek 4-D would be taking over Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies, while The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera would be taken over by

Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida that replaced The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera based on the 2001 movie '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' and it is set to take place after the events of the film. ...

. Both attractions were set to open in 2003. Universal Parks & Resorts have implemented the movie into four of their

amusement parks An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

with plans to integrate it into a fifth. The first park to show the film was Universal Studios Hollywood on May 23, 2003. This was followed by Universal Studios Florida and Japan in June. In 2010, the attraction opened with Universal Studios Singapore in the

-themed Far Far Away themed area. Outside the Universal Parks, the film has only been shown at two theme parks. Movie Park Germany began showing the film on May 27, 2008 (which was shown in German), with Warner Bros. Movie World starting on September 17, 2005. The Florida location hosted a 10th anniversary party on June 12, 2013, with a giant birthday cake, along with appearances from Shrek and Princess Fiona. Universal Studios Hollywood's Shrek 4-D queue has been used for many years to make mazes for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights event. In 2006, ''The Asylum'' operated in the queue. This was followed by ''

A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenka ...

'' themed mazes for 2007, 2008, and 2010. In 2009 '' My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever'' operated in the queue. The final mazes used in this venue were both themed to La Llorona in 2011 and 2012.

Closures

Warner Bros. Movie World retired its Shrek 4D Adventure on August 29, 2010. Movie Park Germany closed their Shrek 4-D attraction the following year on July 4, 2011, and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - The 4-D Experience'' opened in its place in 2012. A third installation of Shrek 4-D closed at Universal Studios Hollywood on August 14, 2017, to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre attraction. Universal Studios Florida announced in 2021 that its Shrek 4-D was closing with its last day of operation being on January 10, 2022. The Florida attraction will be replaced by Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast and set to became part of ''Minion Land on Illumination Ave'', which is set to open Summer 2023.

Other releases

On May 11, 2004, the attraction was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

with the original ''

'' film as ''Shrek 3-D'' with both 3-D and 2-D versions included. The release included pairs of two-color 3-D glasses. The DVD included an anaglyph 3-D version along with a conventional version without 3-D effects. The DVD release also included a preview of ''

Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the ...

''. On May 13, 2007, the film was shown on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

as ''Shrek's Never Before Seen Adventure'', with the 3-D effects removed. In October 2011, the film was released on

under the title ''The Ghost of Lord Farquaad'' as a part of ''DreamWorks Spooky Stories.'' A comic adaptation of the film was featured as issue #1 of the ''Shrek'' comic book mini-series published by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...

. Also the 3D re-release short film was shown before the 3D family films in 2011–2012 such as ''

Kung Fu Panda 2 ''Kung Fu Panda 2'' is a 2011 American computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is the sequel to ''Kung Fu Panda'' (2008) and the second installment in the ''K ...

'', ''Puss in Boots'', and '' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted'' in the UK. It was also released on August 28, 2012, as part of ''

's Thrilling Tales'' DVD and ''DreamWorks Spooky Stories'' Blu-ray.

Ride overview

Queue

In the Universal Studios parks, guests wait outside the building (housed in a

soundstage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie stu ...

) where they watch various clips from the first ''

'' film running on a loop. The queue also includes multiple posters for fake advertisements for attractions in the Kingdom of Duloc. Guests then enter a dungeon in Duloc where the storyline for the attraction will be revealed. At Warner Bros. Movie World, the queue began outside the '' Roxy Theatre'' and wrapped around the left-hand side of the building into the alleyway. Guests were ushered into the pre-show room where they were given a pair of 3D glasses. A similar set-up occurred at Movie Park Germany.

Pre-show

Participants are given their "OgreVision" 3-D Goggles as they enter a

dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...

-like room with two giant television screens on either side. While loading the pre-show room attraction presenters commonly tell jokes to encourage people to move closer to each other in order to fit the capacity audience in the room. The pre-show begins with the

Three Little Pigs "The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house ...

Gingy This is a list of characters that appear in the ''Shrek'' franchise and spin-offs from it. Main characters Shrek Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers, Michael Gough as his official voice in the video games) is the lead character in all of the films. ...

, and

revealing that

has kidnapped them and is holding them in Castle Duloc's dungeon. Gingy flees in the middle of the explanation. The Magic Mirror begins to summarize the story of what happened before (i.e. the first Shrek film) by stating "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." as a spoof on '' Star Wars''. When he is chastised, he quickly responds, "Sorry...I've been feeling really spaced out lately...". After the Mirror finishes, Farquaad appears and states that he intends to torture the fairytale creatures as well as the audience in order to find Shrek and Fiona. The monitor screen later shows a

test card A test card, also known as a test pattern or start-up/closedown test, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast (often at sign-on and sign-off). Used since the ea ...

with Lord Farquaad in the center. The Mirror then warns the audience about safety. In the Hollywood version, Donkey appeared in audio animatronic form and interacted with the guests. With the addition of Donkey, the pre show was shorter in which it did not feature the recap of the story. Everything else was the same. In the Japan version, the Mirror tells the audience to put on their goggles. The cinema doors are then opened and guests take their seats in the theatre.

Main show

The main ride has the riders watch the

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

with their OgreVision 3-D Googles in the theatre, while special effects simulate interaction with the events of the film. Although the animation is 3D, the ride is a 4D film, which incorporates physical effects including motion seats which tilt forward, backward, vibrate, and raise up and drop down during the show. Water sprayers are attached to the back of each seat, to spray the face of the rider sitting behind it. Water sprayers on the ceiling spray riders seated on the front row. Multiple lighting effects are used, such as projected images of a moving waterfall on the walls, or "magical" sparkles of flickering light. Air blasters on the front of every seat blow air against riders neck and head. Leg ticklers are also used to simulate spiders crawling across the theater. Stationary seats, which do not move during the film, are marked and available for those who want to watch the film without the motion or vibration. Every other effect is available for the stationary seats. When the film ends, the fairy shot off with the champagne cork lands up in a speaker attached to the wall of the theater. In the Japan version, the screen splits open for guests to step through the post-show area leading to the gift shop.

Spin-off attractions

A number of spin-off attractions operate alongside Shrek 4-D in various amusement parks. In Universal Studios Florida, ''Donkey's Photo Finish'' is a

meet and greet Meet may refer to: People with the name * Janek Meet (born 1974), Estonian footballer * Meet Mukhi (born 2005), Indian child actor Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Meet'' (TV series), an early Australian television series which aired on ABC ...

attraction that opened in 2003 alongside the film, replacing '' Stage 54''. The attraction consists of guests walking up to an animatronic Donkey who mingles with them and makes fun of them. The guests have their picture taken with Donkey, and then move onto meeting

and

, the latter of which talks to them. Guests then have their picture taken with Shrek and Fiona. These photos can then be purchased. The attraction temporarily closed in June 2012 to make way for '' Transformers: The Ride 3D'', before reopening in a new location next to Monsters Cafe before that area closed alongside the attraction on January 10, 2022. It was relocated to the Woody WoodPecker's KidZone area on July 14, 2022, replacing The Barney Shop, a gift shop located near the former

A Day in the Park with Barney ''A Day in the Park with Barney'' was a live children's show at Universal Studios Florida based on the children's television show, ''Barney & Friends'', that opened in 1995 on the former site of ''The Bates Motel Set'' used in '' Psycho IV: ...

live show. 5 months after, on November 1, 2022, Universal Studios Florida announced that the meet and greet area, alongside Fievel's Playland, DreamWorks Destination, Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, and

Curious George Goes to Town Curious George Goes to Town is a children's aqua play and ball play area at Universal Studios Florida and formerly at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Florida attraction originally opened in 1998, on the former site of ''The Bates Mansion Set' ...

, would close permanently on January 16, 2023, with its last day of operation the day before on January 15, 2023. A similar attraction is located at Universal Studios Hollywood named ''Meet Shrek and Donkey''. In Universal Studios Singapore, Shrek 4-D exists within the larger Far Far Away themed area. Other attractions in the area include ''

Donkey Live Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa at Sentosa, Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the six Universal Studios theme p ...

'' (an interactive live show using

digital puppetry Digital puppetry is the manipulation and performance of digitally animated 2D or 3D figures and objects in a virtual environment that are rendered in real time by computers. It is most commonly used in filmmaking and television production, but has ...

technology, which features Donkey entertaining and engaging guests in conversation in an intimate theater setting),Donkey Live – Far Far Away – Universal Studios Singapore. Retrieved June 6, 2010 from th
Official Site
.

Enchanted Airways Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa at Sentosa, Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the six Universal Studios theme ...

junior roller coaster The Vekoma Junior Coaster is a model of steel roller coaster built by Vekoma. It is commonly referred to as a “roller skater” due to the roller skate shaped cars found on some of the installations, and is credited with greatly influencing ...

that features trains modelled after Dragon),Enchanted Airways – Far Far Away – Universal Studios Singapore. Retrieved June 6, 2010 from th
Official Site
.

Puss in Boots' Giant Journey Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa at Sentosa, Singapore. It features 28 Theme park#Rides and attractions, rides, shows, and Theme park#Rides and attractions, attractions in ...

(a roller coaster with suspended ride vehiclesa, featuring Puss in Boots as he runs from a giant goose) and ''

Magic Potion Spin Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa at Sentosa, Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the six Universal Studios theme p ...

'' (a miniature ferris wheel for children which is themed to be a part of a potion assembly line).Magic Potion Spin – Far Far Away – Universal Studios Singapore. Retrieved June 6, 2010 from th
Official Site
. During the attraction's time at Warner Bros. Movie World, a short-lived live show named ''Shrek Live'' was shown in the park's Show Stage.

References

External links

*
Shrek's 4-D Adventure at Universal Studios Japan

Shrek 4-D Adventure at Universal Studios Singapore
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