Take Another Bow

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2004)

yup...they did it again...the comedy writing for the "shrek" flicks is head-and-shoulders above most of what's passing for "comedy" in the movies these days...as inspired and original as it gets...while they're not the only ones to turn fairy-tale conventions on their ear for laughs (see "princess bride"), the cartoon format gives the writers and performers a whole lotta latitude, and they use every inch of it here...the second installment of the "shrek" series (i can only hope there's more to come) has a ball playing "where's waldo" with movie/TV/cultural references...they come at you pretty fast and furious, and a second viewing is pretty much mandatory since you're bound to miss a coupla goodies the first time around...
the overall concept here is "meet the parents" in ogre-ville, and boy howdy, this is one FUNNY movie...
And from the Meritorius Service to a Moribund Industry Dept:
whoever does the music consulting for these movies should be singled out for a distinguished service medal by the appropriate authorities... tom waits? leonard cohen?...i mean, come on, kids...NOBODY in their right mind legitimately expects to hear music THIS good in a cartoon...what a great job they've done introducing these and other performers to a whole new audience...the soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission...