"Shrek Redux"
by Scott Mantz

“Shrek 2”
Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy
Directed by Andrew Adamson,
Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon

Smack in the Puss!  Shrek bonds with Puss in Boots in "Shrek 2"

Once upon a time, there was a computer-animated film about a big, green ogre who charmed moviegoers to the tune of $470 million worldwide, won the first ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature and lived happily ever after on cable and DVD.

That film, of course, was “Shrek,” but the real irony here is that after more than 8 decades of groundbreaking feature animation, the aforementioned Oscar did not go to a Disney animated movie. That honor instead went to DreamWorks, co-headed by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who, just as ironically, reinvigorated Disney’s ‘toon division back in the late 80’s and early 90’s with classics like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.”

At this stage of the game, Katzenberg’s studio has a good chance of heading back to the podium for a double play. That’s because “Shrek 2” is as good as the first film in just about every way – it’s filled with razor sharp humor for the adults, it’s fast-paced enough for the kids and there’s so much going on for both that repeated viewings are almost mandatory.

When lovebirds Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) return from their honeymoon, they find an invitation to visit Fiona’s thrilled parents, the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) of Far, Far Away. There’s just one problem – they have no idea that their newfound son-in-law is an Ogre. The King is furious about their marriage, so he enlists the help of the powerful Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) to set things right. Shrek soon learns that the honeymoon is definitely over, and he will have to do whatever it takes to hold on to his love for Fiona.

Since the sequel picks up almost exactly where the first film left off, you could put both “Shrek” films together for a remarkably tight 3-hour movie. That’s a good thing, since the pace is brisk, the mood is the same and the events seamlessly flow into one another. Both films also cover the same ground – that of looking past a person’s physical appearance to appreciate their inner beauty – and Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy seem to be having a blast reprising their voiceover roles from the first film.

Perhaps the only bad thing that can be said about “Shrek 2” is that it really is more of the same. Sure, the film takes a clever “Meet the Parents”-style approach, and there are numerous “in-jokes” to other films (like “Spider-Man,” “Alien,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Mission: Impossible,” just to name a few), but the refreshing element of surprise is simply not there. Then again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, since the film works so well on its own merits.

Strange as it may seem, “Shrek 2” belongs not to the jolly green giant voiced by Mike Myers or even the fun-loving Donkey voiced by Eddie Murphy, but to a frisky, sword-wielding feline voiced by Antonio Banderas. Taking an obvious cue from his lead role in 1998’s “The Mask of Zorro,” Banderas is quite simply the cat’s meow as the scene-stealing Puss in Boots. Also new to the film are John Cleese, who gives just the right amount of acerbic wit to Fiona’s disapproving father, and Rupert Everett, who is equally effective as the arrogant, smug Prince Charming. Finally, Julie Andrews takes a few shots at her long history with Disney as the Queen, and Jennifer Saunders chews on her dialogue as the commandeering Fairy Godmother.

Coming almost three years to the day that the first film came out, “Shrek 2” has everything going for it to end up as one of the summer’s best movies. Though two more computer-animated ‘toons – Disney/Pixar’s “The Incredibles” and DreamWorks’ own “Shark Tale” – are waiting in the wings to give “Shrek 2” some stiff competition at next year’s Oscars, I have a feeling that the big, green Ogre will reign supreme and live happily ever after…again.

Back to Scott's New Movie Reviews

Review Archives