Review of:Shrek 2 (2004)
Director:Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon, Kelly Asbury
Rating:PG for some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content.
Starring:Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Saunders
Official Site
The movie Shrek has become a staple in my house, and it is easily the most watched children's movie there. When my kids view it they can watch it once, and sometimes twice, laughing at jokes they have heard a thousand times. To me that am when you know a film is a classic. When you can view it and you still are not tired of it. Therefore, it was with some hesitancy that I awaited Shrek 2. It had big shoes to fill, and let us admit it; sequels are rarely as good as the original.
I can honestly say that the producers of the film have come darn close. Shrek 2 begins almost where it left off, with Shrek and Fiona on their honeymoon. It is there that they receive the invitation to visit her parents in the land of Far, Far Away. We are soon taken to a land very reminiscent of present day Hollywood. You know the land of the beautiful people. It is in this atmosphere that Shrek feels some of his old insecurities rise up. With his wife’s relatives believing that she married the handsome Prince Charming ‚ things soon heat up. Who would want an ogre for a son-in-law? Shrek‚ sensing his wife’s distress‚ makes a drastic decision, hoping it will bring happiness to his beloved, and make things right between him and her family.
The decision to put Shrek in unfamiliar territory was the right one‚ and I suspect the following films will have a bit of that ingredient in them. It puts him back to where he was on the first film. Wondering if he had the right stuff to keep the woman he loved.
The star of the film would have to be Puss and Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas). He does for this second film what Donkey (Eddie Murphy) did for the first. Some of the best scenes of the film are when the two go head to head. Shrek (Michael Myers) does a good job at doing something unique in his career‚ playing the straight man. Most of the jokes go through his character‚ and with his added twist of humor they work very well.
Following not far behind is the fairy godmother‚ who is like the wicked version of the ones most are use to. Instead of granting wishes‚ she tries to maneuver herself into a position of power. Her overpowering smile shows the window to her soul. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it.
I would highly recommend this film‚ and like its predecessor it is sure to be a classic.
