Review
Shrek 2
- Director
- Andrew Adamson
- Kelly Asbury
- Conrad Vernon
- Year
- 2004
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho
- Review date
- Monday, June 21, 2004
And indeed, the sequel turned out to be inferior in originality, humor, and dare, relying too heavily in spoofs of countless films and TV series, almost like Scary Movie (2000), only with Shrek’s trademark humor, which indeed works pretty well. The result is a film that doesn’t stand out on its own, but instead becomes a pretty darn good extension of a movie that did, and does to this day. I guess there’s nothing wrong about that. Especially because… It’s a riot!
The storyline has Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and Fionna (voice of Cameron Diaz), both ogres, now married, coming back from her honeymoon (a hilarious collage of film references and spoofs, which goes from From Here To Eternity (1953) to Spider-Man (2002)) only to find the talkative Donkey back (voice of Eddie Murphy) along with emissaries from Far Far Away, Fionna’s land, who have a message from the King and Queen (voices of John Cleese and Julie Andrews), Fionna’s parents: Shrek and Fionna are invited to a marriage ball in their honor. Of course, they have no idea her daughter married an ogre, or furthermore, that she is now an ogre for good, so conflict is obligatory.
Nevertheless, off they go to Far Far Away. The spoofs never stop coming, with the annoying (and hilarious) Donkey reminding us of Alien (1979), and Far Far Away being a fairytale version of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. To go on with the story, Fionna’s parents are indeed shocked, and conflict abounds as predicted (much funnier than Meet the Parents (2000) at that), but the real problem is the intervention of the Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer Saunders), whose mysterious plans have been truncated by Shrek.
To tell more about the story would be stepping into spoiler territory, so all that should be said is that the same kind of plot from the first movie goes on here: A love triangle, misunderstandings, and the eventual triumph of good… with a twist. There are certain inconsistencies (regarding some people’s intentions despite Fionna’s ogre form), but overall it works. All this is played with two things in mind: Movie spoofs and more movie spoofs (have I mentioned that already? Well it’s that excessive!), and fairytale spoofs. The latter kind is the true spirit from the first installment and it’s still one of the funniest aspects in this one, despite its being taken for granted and given a little less attention. You’ll end up laughing more at the spoofs of Ghostbusters and Mission: Impossible (1996) than about any fairytale spoof, which is awkward for a film with the word Shrek in its title.
However, the single funniest aspect of the film is the introduction of a new character: Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, whose encounter with Shrek is hilarious and his presence keeps up just that way. His animation is the most brilliant and the writing helps a lot, but Banderas adds just the right touch. The character steals the movie and helps it to the point of making us wonder how good it would be without it. As for the rest of the characters, Donkey is as funny as ever, while the rest of the cast is uniformly good, with the possible exception of Julie Andrews, who lacks charisma, but definitely including Rupert Everett as Prince Charming (yeah, that’s his name).
I can’t say I didn’t laugh from beginning to end with Shrek 2. I’m not exactly a fan of the series but I’ve had a great time with both movies, and I appreciate it. They have just the right mixture of brilliant animation and intelligent writing, and one can’t dismiss something like that.
“Pray for mercy from Puss... in boots.”
Gon C Curiel en Twitter | CriticSociety en Twitter | CriticSociety en Facebook
Share on Facebook | Share on Twitter
Other reviews of Shrek 2 (2004): Morris
Comments
New comments are temporarily disabled
Review
Shrek 2
- Director
- Andrew Adamson
- Kelly Asbury
- Conrad Vernon
- Year
- 2004
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris
- Review date
- Thursday, June 24, 2004
Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and Fionna (voice of Cameron Diaz) just got back from their honeymoon when her parents, the King (voice of John Cleese) and Queen (voice of Julie Andrews) request them to visit Far Far Away so they can celebrate her recent wedding. Thus Shrek and Fionna embark on a trip with Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy) in which anything can happen, as the Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer Saunders) won’t stop until she gets her way, while a mysterious individual, Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas) appears with its own agenda.
The movie starts with a bang… of laughter, that is. We see Shrek and Fionna on their honeymoon and I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but there are several movie references that had the theater in stitches. Definitely a great start! Unfortunately, after that clever sequence, Shrek 2 takes a little while to take off again. It is until Puss in Boots appears onscreen that the movie regains its initial high level of energy and from then on it just never stops.
Shrek 2, just as its predecessor, is an incredibly effective laugh fest. It is the kind of movie that makes you laugh so hard that you might be missing the next joke. And I love that! The creators were able to craft an equally original and intelligent movie that is able to please both adults and kids alike. And it is also totally unpredictable, for the franchise exists in part to poke fun at everything and everyone. It also breaks every conventional rule in its way and satirizes even itself. Where else would you find a character called Prince Charming, as in Mr. Charming?
The main difference between the two movies is that part 1 was more about setting up the characters and have them live an unconventional fairy tale, while part 2 is more about moments. New characters are introduced, old ones come back for the ride, but the continuous references to movies (such as Spider-Man, The Little Mermaid, The Lord of the Rings, From Here To Eternity, Beauty and the Beast, Alien, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Ghostbusters, Flashdance and many more), TV shows (such as COPS), fairy tales (such as Peter Pan and Pinocchio) and pop culture references (Sir Justin?) take center stage. It’s a less profound experience overall, but it is hysterical, and in the biggest inner-joke of all, the movie continues to play, ultimately, as a sweet fairy tale.
I have to give Puss in Boots a paragraph of its own because the character simply steals the movie. I wasn’t so sure it was going to be that funny, but it exceeded my expectations. I still laugh my ass off when I remember his cute little face that Donkey hates so much. Brilliant animation, voicing and writing!
Memorable scenes abound, for every single scene has one or two great punchlines, but there’s a Mission: Impossible spoof that you have to see to believe! I just couldn’t stop laughing!!!
The work by the actors lending their voices is first-rate. Eddie Murphy, as Donkey, just keeps getting the laughs. He and Antonio Banderas as Puss are a one-of-a-kind team. I love ‘em! Then there’s Myers and Diaz, who reprise their roles. And new additions include John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett and Jennifer Saunders.
A great movie that serves its purpose and even more than that. I loved it and I can’t wait for parts 3 & 4!!!
“The position of annoying talking animal has been filled.”
CriticSociety en Twitter | CriticSociety en Facebook
Share on Facebook | Share on Twitter
Other reviews of Shrek 2 (2004): Groucho
Comments
New comments are temporarily disabled
