pale shadow of the original

Rating: 4/10 (7 October 2005)

The original "Shrek" was an absolutely charming fairy tale that skillfully accentuated a simple message with impassioned performances and gallows humor. "Shrek 2," however, fails in many departments, but no more than the most crucial: it is completely lacking the fairytale charm and wonder that made its predecessor so darn endearing. This time around, the characters seem to be just going through the motions of what is, at heart, a formula sequel propped up with glitzy computer animation that is at least as good as the original's. A collection of charmless new characters does little to help the cause, which is made increasingly futile with a tone-deaf sense of satire and a self-conscious, anvil-heavy humor that seldom permits any genuine laughs. Unfortunately, this sequellike so many otherswas clearly driven by a committee of producers rather than fresh ideas.