Shrek 2 Movie

The cranky beast with a heart of gold returns to the big screen in this sequel to the computer-animated smash hit Shrek. After massive green ogre Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and his new bride, Princess Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz), return from their honeymoon, they receive an invitation to visit Fiona's parents, King Harold (voice of John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (voice of Julie Andrews), who are the monarchs of The Land Far, Far Away. However, the king and queen are more than a bit alarmed to discover their new son-in-law is a monster the color of algae, and that their daughter's little problem with a magical spell gone wrong has turned into a full-time skin condition. Certain this isn't the sort of "happily ever after" they dreamed of for their daughter, King Harold decides to take Shrek out of the picture and return Fiona to her former beauty with the help of Prince Charming (voice of Rupert Everett), the Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer Saunders), and ogre-slaying feline Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas). Shrek 2 also features the voice of Eddie Murphy returning as Donkey, as well as Larry King as an Ugly Stepsister.

Where the original Shrek was stuffed to the breaking point with jokes and bits of business, Shrek 2 has a much more relaxed tone. The most notable improvement this film makes over its predecessor, aside from the sophistication of the animation, is the belief the filmmakers have in the material. To be sure, the jokes are plentiful, but none of them feel as desperate as some of the material in Shrek. The biggest problem with the sequel, though, is that the film just is not funny enough. There are few big laughs in the film because the screenwriters have elected to tell a story that is rather intricate in its emotional deceptions. Where the first film's plot existed so that the endless string of bits could be played out, Shrek 2 actually aims for real poignancy, sentimentality, and character development. Had the filmmakers created characters with more complexity, or figured out how to make the film funnier, they could have topped the original. Instead they have made a film that is on occasion rather dull. Only Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Antonio Banderas as a swashbuckling rogue cat retain the energy of the first Shrek. They get just about all of the best moments, although Rupert Everett hits all the right notes as the very vain and very spoiled Prince Charming. These characters exhibit the best aspects of the anarchic spirit that helped make the first film a blockbuster. Undoubtedly, there will be a third Shrek film, and if they match the comedy of the first with the confidence of the second, DreamWorks will have made the best animated film in its short history.