Shrek 2 Review

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2010)

Shrek 2 picks up where the first movie left off after the marriage of Shrek and Fiona. It is a funny, light hearted animation where Mike Myers returns as the voice of Shrek, along with Cameron Diaz as Fiona, and Eddie Murphy as Donkey. The happily married couple is invited to Far Far Away, where the King and the Queen reside for proper introduction of Princess Fiona's true love, Shrek. There is immediate tension between the King and Shrek as an Ogre was not what he expected to be married to his daughter, who also secretly transforms into an ogre at nightfall. Although the King seems to disapprove, what really matters is that Shrek and Fiona love each other for who they are and will fight for that letting nothing get in the way, not even disapproval of the in-laws. However, the King and the Fairy Godmother had a deal that Prince Charming was supposed to wed Fiona, but when he made an attempt to rescue her from the dragon's dungeon to his surprise Fiona was already in love with someone else and on her honeymoon.
When Prince Charming's mother, The Fairy Godmother, realizes that things did not go as planned she becomes outraged with the King who had no idea this was going to happen and they begin to plot ways to exonerate Shrek so Prince Charming can become part of the heir as originally agreed upon by the King and the Fairy Godmother. The Fairy Godmother wants him to poison Fiona with a potion so that she will fall in love with the first man she kisses, and arrange for that to be Prince Charming. This will also prevent her from transforming back into an ogre ever again. When the King does not wish to follow through with this the Fairy Godmother begins to threaten the King that he won't get his happily ever after.
The typical fairy tale story does not exist in this film. Everyone does not approve of the princess being married to Shrek this massive green ogre when the story says that a princess will be rescued and fall in love with her Prince Charming. Unlike so many other stories, for example where Cinderella has a Fairy Godmother to help her and is rescued by her Prince Charming when he comes for her with the glass slipper, in Shrek 2 everything is opposite that. There are many references to and jokes made to other fairy tale like stories throughout this entire movie which is part of the humor! The color in the film is brilliant, bright and vibrant which flows really well with this animation. By the end of the movie Fiona realizes she realizes she loves Shrek just the way he is even if it's not human and that she wants to remain an ogre with him, just the way true love should be.