Another impressive piece of computer animation, like the original

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2008)

After seeing the original "Shrek" on the small screen, probably more than once, I went to see this sequel on the big screen in 2004, I think with much anticipation, and was impressed, just like I was with the first one. I saw "Shrek 2" again on the small screen once at some point within the next year, and it was still enjoyable. Like most sequels, this one is generally considered inferior to its predecessor, but I'm not sure which one I preferred. I recently watched both of them again, and I don't think I was quite as impressed with the first one as I used to be, and it may have been the same case with this sequel, but they were still both good.
After a long journey, Prince Charming makes it to the dragon's castle, where he expects to find Princess Fiona and rescue her. However, soon after he gets there, he discovers the Princess isn't there, and learns that she's on her honeymoon! Yes, she is now married to Shrek, and has taken the form of an ogress. Shortly after the newly wed couple return to the swamp, they receive an invitation from the King and Queen of Far, Far Away, Fiona's parents, to a Royal Ball in the kingdom, where Shrek is to receive a blessing from the King. The couple set out with Donkey to the kingdom, and the King and Queen are obviously surprised to see their daughter with an ogre and looking a lot like him. Fiona's mother is easygoing about this, but her father is not happy about the fact that she hasn't married Prince Charming as planned, and he and Shrek have trouble getting along. Not only that, Prince Charming and his mother, the Fairy Godmother, are both determined to get Princess Fiona away from Shrek and with the Prince!
This sequel takes us to new places we didn't see in the original, including, of course, the Kingdom of Far, Far Away, which I think I've found to be more interesting than, let's say, the Kingdom of Duloc in the original. "Shrek 2" also features more characters, including Prince Charming, the King and Queen, the Fairy Godmother, and Puss In Boots. I can't complain much about any of these characters, and John Cleese of Monty Python fame was a great choice for the voice of the King. You can always recognise his voice if you've heard it enough. Just like the original, this sequel features laughs, amazing animation, excitement, and perhaps some touching scenes. The humour may not always work (for example, Shrek and Fiona farting during the honeymoon sequence), but I would say the humour usually succeeds. One of the really funny parts I found was Donkey on the way to the Kingdom of Far, Far Away, bored and unable to stop pestering Shrek and Fiona. Speaking of Donkey, I think I found him funnier here than in the original. This time, he doesn't seem to really overdo it with his yapping, or maybe just has funnier lines.
I've rated this first sequel to DreamWorks Animation's 2001 smash hit 8/10, the same as its predecessor, but even though it's rated lower on this site, I think I like it better, for reasons I've mentioned above, and maybe more. It just might not be consistent enough for me to vote higher than an 8 (it may get a bit better as it goes along), but if not, it comes close. There are times when sequels receive more praise than their predecessors, and "Shrek 2" does not appear to be one of those, it appears to be like most of them, considered inferior by most. So, it looks like I can't join the majority on this one, but I'm definitely not the only one who likes it better than the original, and it's certainly not among the most poorly received movie sequels ever made (it seems it turned out to be a success, just like the original "Shrek"). For that reason, if you're a fan of the original, you may or may not be disappointed by this sequel, but either way, I think it's worth a try.