Shrek II excellent

Rating: 10/10 (30 May 2007)

An excellent sequel that carries on the tradition of the first bringing several new and well-thought-out characters, particularly the delightful and delightfully wicked Fairy Godmother and the charming Zorro takeoff Puss-in-Boots. A happily married Shrek and Fiona are invited to her home kingdom of Far, Far Away by her parents who've no idea their plan for ending the princess' ogre-by-night curse has taken an unexpected turn. Shrek with forebodings of disaster reluctantly is persuaded to go, Donkey, undergoing some problems in his relationship with Dragon, hitches a ride, and the story moves us to the Beverly Hills-like kingdom of Far, Far Away where Fiona's parents King Harold and Queen Lillian are not exactly delighted to meet their new ogre-in-law.
The original plot is deepened by offering details of how and why Fiona was locked away in her tower and the secret of her curse ends up being revealed in hilarious fashion at the end. Rupert Everett narrates a charming repeat of the fairy tale that opened the first Shrek and gives a great turn as the vain and rather nasty Prince Charming. Antonio Bandaras has great fun spoofing his Zorro character as the heroic if somewhat limited by his feline condition, Puss-in-Boots. But the show is stolen by the arrival of the Godmother, Fairy that is, brilliantly and hilariously played by Jennifer Saunders, who it turns out had a rather dark stake in ending Fiona's curse.