Not the original, but good nonetheless

Rating: 9/10 (1 June 2004)

Picking up where the original Shrek left off, Shrek and Fiona return from the honeymoon only to be off again when they receive an invitation from Fiona's parents to a wedding ball. Apparently, the King and Queen of Far, Far Away have heard about their daughter's marriage, but are unaware that she married an ogre, and they are in for a shock. Complicating matters is a Fairy Godmother with whom the King has a deal with; apparently, Fiona was supposed to marry the Godmother's son, Prince Charming, but Charming arrived too late. And what Fairy Godmother wants, Fairy Godmother GETS.
While not better than the original Shrek, Shrek 2 does very well for a film the producers originally never intended to make. The actors reprise their roles well for their second outing, and the new voices and faces make "2" a welcome addition to the franchise. Jennifer Saunders plays "Dama Fortuna" with wonderful duplicity, Rupert Everett is perfect as the vainglorious Prince, and Antonio Banderas steals the show as the "ogre slayer" Puss-in-Boots. The music's not as good as what was featured in the original, but fits for this film.
Overall, this is a wonderful stand alone film, but one should walk in with thoughts of the original somewhere else.