Shrek 2 Review

June 3, 2004 8:38 PM
by [email]

Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon
Grade: A-

When the first Shrek film was released in 2001, there was little doubt as to whether Dreamworks, which is fast becoming the most powerful movie making studio in Hollywood, would quickly get to work on a sequel. However, fans around the globe (myself included) doubted whether the directing trio of Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon could churn out a film funnier than its original.

I guess we were wrong.

Not only does Shrek 2 top the first, it may prove to be the biggest attention getter of the summer—and that includes soon to be released summer blockbusters Spiderman 2 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In its second weekend at the box office, Shrek 2 out dueled the much anticipated disaster film The Day After Tomorrow, which most critics predicted would rule on its opening weekend. Not bad for a funny looking green ogre with a weird accent—and it’s true, Mike Myers’ Scottish accent is way better than Mel Gibson’s in Braveheart.

The story begins with an amusing montage of Shrek’s honeymoon with Princess Fiona. The once beautiful Fiona is forced to adapt to her new life as an ogre, a surprising transformation that King Harold, Fiona’s father, has a hard time accepting. After learning of Princess Fiona’s marriage to Shrek, the evil Fairy Godmother works on a scheme to transform Fiona back into her beautiful self. Prince charming, who Fiona dreamed of marrying as a child (not to mention, the Fairy Godmother’s son), is prepared to place the Fairy Godmother’s brainwashing spell on Fiona with a timely kiss on the lips.

Much to the fans’ delight, Shrek 2 welcomes back the lovable Donkey, but Puss-in-Boots, a tenacious cat voiced by Antonio Banderas, does his best to upstage Eddie Murphy’s character. An interesting dynamic develops between Donkey and Puss-in-Boots, as both compete tirelessly for Shrek’s affection. However, they slowly realize the importance of working together in Shrek’s quest to prevent the handsome Prince Charming from kissing Fiona in time to place the Fairy Godmother’s spell on her.

Fairytales can only end on a positive note—which I suppose is why I didn’t preface this sentence with a spoiler alert. That said, the way in which Shrek outplays the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming in the film’s final scene is quite the spectacle indeed. Shrek 2 has more adult humor than its predecessor, but the film is meant for all ages, catering to both grade schoolers, as well as the Moms and Dads who drive them to soccer practice. Go see it!