Shrek Series: Semiotic Central

I spent my past weekend's activities scheduled around when tbs was showing Shrek the Third next. I throughly enjoy the "Shrek" series, needless to say, watching the third was on the top of my priority list this weekend. When I begin to think about why I enjoy the Shrek films so much, I realize it is all due to the semiotics within the context. If we evaluate Shrek and all it's connotations, it is really not a children movie at all. I think that is partially what makes the film a draw to people my age and even older. These films take a classic fairy-tale premise and sprinkle in adult humor and sexual undertones. In the second movie alone there is a reference to Ponochio wearing a thong and one of the other characters being drunk. Although the children watching this film probably are not picking up on the semiotics behind the characters behaviors (Ponochio lying about wearing a thong makes his nose grow). The symbols that appear throughout all three films are incredibly important when looking at theme, connotation, and plot. Take for example the scene in Shrek 2, where the king goes into the forest to buy the evil potion. Although the evil potion in the land of far far away is a fictional substance, I can't help to think what connotations this potion is paralleling...perhaps a drug? Also, while in the forest at this "potion house" the ugly step sister from Cinderella is present, she happens to look a lot like a man. Is Dreamworks trying to pawn off a cross dresser to resemble the ugly step sister? Again these films work so well because of the underlying connotations within the jokes and contextual themes. There are many symbols that can be pulled from the films that help to better understand semiotics. Semiotics or not, this series will continue to provide hilarity and entertainment for years to come!