Okay Followup, But Why?

Rating: 6/10 (21 November 2004)

There's plenty to delight the eye in "Shrek 2," a solid, amiable outing with some amazing graphic sequences that must even make the folks at Pixar jealous. But the finding-the-beauty-within-ugliness formula is starting to run thin, and the makers seem in danger of taking their creations too seriously.
Is it just me who feels annoyed by a kids' movie really geared to adults? I'm sure your typical eight-year-old is all over the subplot of in-law strife. The in-jokes and movie references are getting more obscure. I mean, even "The Simpsons" don't riff on Shirley Bassey.
The storyline here is more of the same. Shrek had his hands full in the first film dealing with how people misinterpreted him. Now he has the same problem with his new wife Fiona's mother and father. Given they locked her away in a tower after she reached puberty, never to be seen again, you'd think they'd not be trying to micromanage their child's affections, but it is a cartoon.
The fact is the filmmakers seem to think this isn't a cartoon at times, filling the screen with long bits where the characters, once apart, gaze silently into space while some pop drivel comes over the speakers. This is supposed to be meaningful, in case you haven't seen an episode of "Friends," but it's not funny, and it slows up the action.
Even when the focus turns to amusement, it's a kind of half-run thing. Take Puss In Boots, the fresh new breakout character of this film. He's funny for about five minutes, but as a would-be adversary, he's over with way too quickly, and then he just kind of hangs around the corners of the frame.
I don't want to bash too hard, because the film does work more than it doesn't. I didn't flip over it, but maybe that's because it's kind of a date film I went to see with Mom. I did enjoy parts of it, when the manipulation didn't seem too intense. And it may be the best-looking animation you ever see on video. But it's a significant step down from the first film.