Much better than I was expecting.

Rating: 7/10 (28 March 2005)

I didn't have high hopes for Shrek 2. After all, it wasn't as if the first one needed a sequel. The whole point of 'happily ever after' is there's no more story to tell. Don't get me wrong; I liked the first Shrek a lot, especially the Fractured Fairy Tales element to it. And the second one develops itself mostly along that line, with surprisingly entertaining results. The story takes place pretty much after the closing credits of the first Shrek. Shrek (Mike Myers) the ogre and his bride Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are on their honeymoon. Upon returning, they are summoned to the court of the Kingdom of Far Far Away to meet Fiona's parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews). But an evil fairy godmother (Jennifer Saunders) isn';t too pleased about the marriage. Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Prince Charming and a few others come into it somewhere as well. Shrek 2's main joke is the Hollywood and fairy tale pastiche. Far Far Away is Hollywood, for instance, right down to the big sign written across the mountain. The fairy godmother has a potion factory complete with union inspectors, and rides around in a limousine-shaped flying coach. There are a number of movie references as well, far too many to spot in one sitting. Shrek 2 works solely on the silliness and the send-up of all things Grimm. The characters sort of wander through the plot, especially Donkey, but that doesn't matter because all of them are instantly likable. By far the best is the Latin assassin Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, who quibbles and bickers with Donkey over who gets to be the faithful sidekick. The Fairy Godmother is also fun, especially her crime-boss like attitude in her dealings with the king. It is hard to divine performances through voices only, but the cast seem to be enjoying themselves and are talented enough to carry off the characterisations. This is helped somewhat by everyone pretty much playing what they're used to; John Cleese's king is little more than a regal Basil Fawlty, Puss in Boots is the same role Antonio Banderas has been playing for years, and Saunders' Fairy Godmother is basically Edina Monsoon's evil twin. Shrek 2 didn't need to be made, but for an unnecessary sequel it holds up well. It's funny, it's cute, it's certainly visually impressive, with the animation standard even better than before. It's not as good as the first one but few sequels are. It stands up well as a film on its own, however; a viewing of the original is not required to enjoy the movie. In the end, Shrek 2 entertained me and made me laugh, which is really all I ask for. Good-o-meter rating: 7.5/10