A worthy follow-up to the first SHREK movie.

Rating: Null/10 (17 December 2004)

I was a bit concerned about seeing this movie. After all, SHREK was such a novel and entertaining movie, I thought the second installment might just be a poor imitation. I am glad that I was wrong! It isn't right to actually compare the two -- this second one has to build on the first -- but SHREK 2 is a wonderful animated movie, every bit as good as the first, in many ways better.
A few comments about the DVD. The animation is a marvel to see, and the DVD uses a video sampling rate as good as a 'superbit' DVD, so the images are the best I have ever seen. The DVD menu is also one of the best I've seen. The main menu has nine boxes, so you can go directly to anything from this main menu. There is also a "help" box, useful for those less familiar with DVD, that helps understand how to navigate through all the features of the DVD. I didn't buy this one on release, but I think I will now, a very entertaining movie, and a beautiful DVD.
SPOILERS FOLLOW, for my own recollection, please read no further, OK!? Shrek (Mike Myers) and his bride Fiona(Cameron Diaz) travel along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to 'Far, Far Away Land' to see her parents. That land is a take-off on Hollywood, even with the large words on the hillside. John Cleese is her dad, the King and Julie Andrews is her mom the Queen. There are naturally upset to see their daughter as an Ogre, the King solicits the help of the Fairy Godmother who puts a spell that if Fiona kisses the Prince, her son, before midnight, Fiona will be his. But SHREK also steals a happiness formula which turns him into a handsome man, Fiona into a beautiful woman, and they barely get together right at midnight, a kiss will keep them that way, but Fiona says no, she married an Ogre and that's the way she wants to be happy. So they turn back to Ogres as the movie ends, with a big song and fireworks display.
Antonio Banderas is also good as Puss In Boots, Rupert Everett as Prince Charming, and Jennifer Saunders as the Fairy Godmother.