Shrek 2: Movie & DVD Review (2004)

(Originally published 2004)

The best scene in "Shrek 2" comes early and hits hard. It’s pure catnip, the cinematic high to beat this year.

In it, a new character to the mix, the sword-wielding Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas), is in the midst of blasting Shrek (Mike Myers) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) with a devastating series of bon mots, when he suddenly coughs up a hairball the size of a standard poodle.

He does so with such wheezing ferocity, it sent the audience at my screening over the edge, thus fueling hopes that this sequel to the 2001, Academy Award-winning original would be just as clever and fun.

On the surface, the film certainly seems to have it all--well-drawn characters, top-notch animation, and enough hype to help rocket it onto a record-breaking 4,163 screens. But unlike "Toy Story 2," which surpassed its predecessor in every way, "Shrek 2" is an ogre when it comes to gaining momentum. Initially, it seems aimless and stuck, coasting too long on its sea of good will before the characters finally connect, the laughs become more consistent and the story gels for a strong finish.

In the film, happy newly weds Shrek and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) fall into a ruinous funk when Fiona insists they travel to see her parents in the Kingdom of Far Far Away. There, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) want to meet their daughter’s new husband and mark the occasion of their marriage with a grand ball.

Unfortunately for all involved, the king and queen have no clue that their daughter has married a flatulent green ogre and that she has become one herself. Instead, they think she married Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), the fey villain with the fantastic hair whose wicked mother, the meddling Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), is so determined to see Charming and Fiona marry, she’ll stop at nothing to have her way.

Since the movie’s strength isn’t in its ability to surprise, it’s best not to reveal more of the plot. Safe to say that problems ensue the moment Fairy Godmother raises her wand, formulates her potions, and digs in for the long haul.

What’s missing from "Shrek 2" is the wicked little meanstreak that ignited the first film. "Shrek" was essentially 90 minutes of gleeful Disney-bashing, with DreamWorks’ animation chief, Jeffrey Katzenberg, finding every opportunity to humiliate his former boss, Disney’s Michael Eisner, and the company’s infamous group of fairy-tale has-beens.

Lacking that edge, "Shrek 2" is softer and less colorful than it could have been, with the inside jokes kept to a minimum. The movie is never dull--particularly with the wonderful Saunders and Banderas on board--but too often, it feels uninspired, as if Sleeping Beauty had a hand in writing the script.

Grade: B