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SHREK 2
Disney knocked it out of the park with Shrek 2, the sparkling and imaginative 2004 sequel to their surprise hit from 2000 about the romance between an ogre and a princess that meets and surpasses all my requirements of a good sequel (see my review of The Dark Knight Rises) and provides a lavish animated adventure rich with modern pop culture references seamlessly blended into classic fairy tale sensibilities and the introduction of some new characters who almost steal the show and from the talent already assembled, that is quite the feat. And yes, I'll say it...this is that rarest of rare animals...a sequel that is better than the original.
As Shrek (voiced by Mike Meyers) and Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) return from their honeymoon, we learn that the real Prince Charming (wonderfully voiced by Rupert Everett) who was the one who was really supposed to awaken Fiona with his kiss is too late and looks to his fairy godmother (voiced brilliantly by Jennifer Saunders) for help in getting him his true love back. Meanwhile, Mr. & Mrs. Shrek receive a dinner invitation from Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away, inviting them to dinner and a ball they are throwing to celebrate their wedding. Accompanied by Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), who's "on a break" with his dragon girlfriend, Shrek and Fiona arrive and are met with instant hostility from the king (flawlessly voiced by John Cleese) who is revealed to have a secret agenda with the Fairy Grandmother that the Queen (voiced by Julie Andrews) knows nothing about and Shrek actually gets a shot at living as a human with the love of his life.
This sequel is nothing short of brilliant, thanks to a solid gold screenplay that seamlessly blends contemporary pop culture references into a fairy tale setting and making them seem perfectly natural. And while providing endless entertainment, the story also quietly provides some important messages regarding friendship, good vs evil, and most importantly, how what you are on the inside is a lot more important than what you look like on the outside. It's a bittersweet part of the story when Shrek gets his first taste of being human because you feel happy for him until it seems like he thinks this is the only way he can hold onto Fiona. The story also introduces two fabulous new characters...the Fairy Godmother, a villain in the tradition of Margaret Hamilton, is presented as a female Donald Trump with a wand who seems to secretly control Far, Far Away and Puss N Boots (beautifully voiced by Antonio Banderas) who the king hires to take Shrek out but he ends up bonding with Shrek instead. I love Puss' secret weapon of "kitten eyes" that he uses to distract his enemies.
Jennifer Saunders just about walks away with this film with her brilliant voicing of the Fairy Godmother...her rendition of "I Need a Hero" is a showstopper. Banderas also steals every scene Puss is in and Puss' duet with Donkey, following the "Ghostbusters"-inspired finale, is a whole lot of fun. This film is pure entertainment from opening to closing credits filled with warmth and laughter and not just for kids.
Disney knocked it out of the park with Shrek 2, the sparkling and imaginative 2004 sequel to their surprise hit from 2000 about the romance between an ogre and a princess that meets and surpasses all my requirements of a good sequel (see my review of The Dark Knight Rises) and provides a lavish animated adventure rich with modern pop culture references seamlessly blended into classic fairy tale sensibilities and the introduction of some new characters who almost steal the show and from the talent already assembled, that is quite the feat. And yes, I'll say it...this is that rarest of rare animals...a sequel that is better than the original.
As Shrek (voiced by Mike Meyers) and Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) return from their honeymoon, we learn that the real Prince Charming (wonderfully voiced by Rupert Everett) who was the one who was really supposed to awaken Fiona with his kiss is too late and looks to his fairy godmother (voiced brilliantly by Jennifer Saunders) for help in getting him his true love back. Meanwhile, Mr. & Mrs. Shrek receive a dinner invitation from Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away, inviting them to dinner and a ball they are throwing to celebrate their wedding. Accompanied by Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), who's "on a break" with his dragon girlfriend, Shrek and Fiona arrive and are met with instant hostility from the king (flawlessly voiced by John Cleese) who is revealed to have a secret agenda with the Fairy Grandmother that the Queen (voiced by Julie Andrews) knows nothing about and Shrek actually gets a shot at living as a human with the love of his life.
This sequel is nothing short of brilliant, thanks to a solid gold screenplay that seamlessly blends contemporary pop culture references into a fairy tale setting and making them seem perfectly natural. And while providing endless entertainment, the story also quietly provides some important messages regarding friendship, good vs evil, and most importantly, how what you are on the inside is a lot more important than what you look like on the outside. It's a bittersweet part of the story when Shrek gets his first taste of being human because you feel happy for him until it seems like he thinks this is the only way he can hold onto Fiona. The story also introduces two fabulous new characters...the Fairy Godmother, a villain in the tradition of Margaret Hamilton, is presented as a female Donald Trump with a wand who seems to secretly control Far, Far Away and Puss N Boots (beautifully voiced by Antonio Banderas) who the king hires to take Shrek out but he ends up bonding with Shrek instead. I love Puss' secret weapon of "kitten eyes" that he uses to distract his enemies.
Jennifer Saunders just about walks away with this film with her brilliant voicing of the Fairy Godmother...her rendition of "I Need a Hero" is a showstopper. Banderas also steals every scene Puss is in and Puss' duet with Donkey, following the "Ghostbusters"-inspired finale, is a whole lot of fun. This film is pure entertainment from opening to closing credits filled with warmth and laughter and not just for kids.