Shrek 2 turns twenty years old today, that is, May 19. The film was released all the way back in 2004 as a sequel to one of the best and most entertaining animated comedy films known to mankind. The sequel was undoubtedly a success in terms of both box office collection and reviews. Shrek 2 made $935 million at the worldwide box office which is enough proof that fans of the beloved green ogre absolutely loved the movie.
The best part about the sequel has got to be the many, many pop-culture references in the film. From a mermaid who looks quite like Ariel from The Little Mermaid to an iconic line from Seinfeld, Shrek 2 left no stone unturned to give its audience a gazillion easter eggs to look out for. However, the Mission: Impossible tribute in the film takes the cake for the best reference.
Shrek 2’s Nod to an Iconic Scene in Mission: Impossible
No matter how many times you watch Shrek 2 you will probably find a new pop-culture reference with each rewatch. From television to films to fairy tales, the sequel did its best to incorporate a wide variety of jokes and references throughout the 1-hour-33-minute runtime. Our favorite, though, has to be the tribute to Mission: Impossible (1996).
In the first film of the extremely successful franchise, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is lowered into a vault room at the CIA’s headquarters by Jean Reno’s Franz Krieger in order to steal the NOC list. The stakes are quite high as any sound above a whisper will trigger a building-wide lockdown, making it impossible for them to escape.
Heist scenes are always nail-biting but the one in Mission: Impossible somehow manages to beat them all as it kept the audience on the edge of their seats with eyes glued on the screen for the entire time. When Ethan and Franz finally escape, that’s when the audience, too, can go back to breathing properly.
Now, Shrek 2 did a great job replicating the scene. In order to rescue Shrek, Donkey, and Puss from the knight’s dungeon, the Three Little Pigs pull a Mission: Impossible and lower Pinocchio down to bust their friends out. While the O.G. scene had Cruise dangling by wires, Shrek 2 hilariously made use of puppet strings to carry out the mission.
pinocchio reveals he is wearing a thong pic.twitter.com/mzCf6IEbS8
— popculture (@notgwendalupe) May 18, 2024
One of the most important parts of a heist scene has to be the background music which contributes to building the viewers’ anticipation. Therefore, in order to take things to the next level, Shrek 2 brilliantly used the theme of Mission: Impossible during the breakout.
Another Iconic Moment Makes it to Shrek 2
If the remake of the heist wasn’t enough for you to fall in love with Dreamworks’ sequel, then this next scene just might.
When discussions go on about iconic scenes from Hollywood, there is no way you can miss out on mentioning the upside-down kiss from Spider-Man (2002) between Tobey Maguire’s Peter and Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane.
In the film, Spider-Man successfully saves the girl from a gang of thugs, and as a thank you, Mary Jane gives him a kiss while he dangled upside-down with his webs. Coming to Shrek 2, Shrek’s ankle gets caught in a trap and he is pulled upside-down after his face gets smeared in mud giving the illusion of a superhero’s mask that hides his identity.
Did you know??
This scene at the beginning of Shrek 2 is a reference to the movie Spider-Man (2002) when Mary Jane uncovers Spider-Man's mask and kisses him while he's hanging upside down 🕷️🕸️ pic.twitter.com/upSLKuPPZA
— 👑 ShrekHistory 👑 (@ShrekHistory) January 27, 2021
Fiona then comes up to him and they engage in a passionate kiss while Shrek remains upside-down, giving yet another nod to an extremely popular pop-culture moment. Clearly, the team for the animated film knew how to bring in a wide audience!
Stream Shrek 2 on Peacock Premium, Mission: Impossible on Paramount+, and Spider-Man on Disney+.
