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Movie: Shrek 2
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
Actors: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Jennifer Saunders
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"Oh, Shrek. Don't worry. Things just seem bad because it's dark and rainy and Fiona's father hired a sleazy hitman to whack you."
Shrek 2 broke all kind of records when it was released a few years ago. The computer animated flick was Dreamworks' counterattack on Disney's Pixar that earned big bucks with the Toy Story films. Dreamworks successfully proved that they also could deliver entertaining animated features and of course a sequel was greenlit right away. The original cast is back and some great new characters are also being introduced in Shrek 2!
The story in a nutshell:
The King and Queen invite their daughter Prinses Fiona and Shrek for a dinner. What they don't know is that their daughter is an Ogre now, imagine the impact when they also meet their son-in-law Shrek for the first time. The King makes a deal with the Fairy Godmother to change Fiona back and match her to Fairy's handsome son, Prince Charming. The King also hires the assassin Puss-in-Boots to get rid of Shrek once and for all.
Shrek 2 handles the same formula as its predecessor; A very funny comedy with great humor that's more suitable for grown ups than for the kids. Shrek works wonderfully because it doesn't include the annoying moral and educational messages, which are being forced down your throat in Disney's movies. The sequel's opening sequence is fantastic, especially when Donkey (Eddie Murphy) appears. Myers and Cameron Diaz did a great job voicing Shrek and Fiona. We also recognize the voices of John Cleese and Julie Andrews as the King and Queen. Puss's charming Spanish accent is wonderfully done by Antonio Banderas.
Donkey and Puss are the stars of the show, creating some very funny moments, like Donkey's "Are we there yet?" questions during the journey to the palace or Puss who must interrupt his attack on Shrek because he has to cough up a hairball. There's also Pinocchio, the Three Little Piglets and Gingerbread Man in a couple of hilarious scenes.
The story continues smoothly with a nice balance between the jokes and drama. Of course there are also some nice moments when the characters imitate sequences of other movies like The Lords of the Rings, Mission: Impossible, Spider-man and even Disney's The Little Mermaid.
Shrek 2 is as good as and sometimes better than the first one. The animation is breath-taking, supported by the talented all-star cast. Shrek 2 is fun for the whole family!
Written by Reggy 28/06/04
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