| Right
after their honeymoon the newly wed couple goes to Princess Fiona's
parents for dinner. When a Fairy God Mother discovers Fiona and
Shrek are married she reminds the king about a deal they agreed
on years ago that Fiona should of married Prince Charming (her
son). The king then hires a cat named Puss-in-Boots (a sword
fighting cat and ogre slayer) to kill Shrek. [TRAILER]
STEVEN
SNYDER'S REVIEW
There is a scene in “Shrek 2” when
even I found myself in awe of the film’s creativity. Pinocchio,
the Three Blind Mice and the Gingerbread Man are zoning out on the
couch, eating buffalo wings, watching “Cops” on television
and fighting over the remote. And while wiping the tears from my
laughing face, I had to admit that this irreverent, unpredictable
and incomparable
affair was just what I had been hoping for.
The “Shrek” series is not wonderful because of its vocalizations
or its revolutionary animation, although those are big parts of it, but rather
because it compresses so much creativity into every sequence, every scene and,
often, every shot. As the audience, we wait for the next twist in the story
from filmmakers who are clearly as smart, or smarter, than us.
Yet while this post-modern comedy unfurls, it remains grounded in
a story of basic human fears and insecurities that helps it connect
to the audience
where
other goofy or absurd movies trail off into irrelevance. The first “Shrek” debunked
the mysticism of common fairytales, spun the tale of Prince Charming on its
head, and explored the issues of inner beauty and acceptance.
In “Shrek 2,” Fiona (Cameron Diaz) is now an ogre herself, married
to Shrek (Mike Myers), and along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) thy make the trip
to the kingdom of Fiona’s parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) to
secure their blessing for the marriage.
This time around, in addition to fairy tales, “Shrek 2” debunks the
nobility and sophistication of royalty. Fiona’s parents are disgusted
by their new daughter, unable to see past the surface image, until later
we discover
the real reason for their closed-mindedness.
While Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) himself appears later in the story,
in an attempt to woo Fiona away from Shrek, the real story being distorted
in “Shrek
2” is that of the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) who, instead
of being a creature of empathetic aid and support, resembles a Mafia kingpin
willing
to
do absolutely anything to help her son, Charming.
The most refreshing new character to the mix is Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas),
a hilarious, over-the-top swordsman, er cat, who is dispatched to “take
care of” Shrek. However, once the plan goes askew, he instead becomes the
third member of the trio, leading Donkey to deliver one of the film’s greatest
quips: “Sorry, the position of annoying talking animal has already
been taken!”
It is creative lines like this that keep me engaged and involved. Andrew
Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, the three directors of “Shrek 2,” know
what they’re doing and they have made a film that is more than simply a
spoof or a comedy, but an intelligent satire of the genre’s past. The
fact they are able to do it so well that we actually end up caring about
these characters
only speaks further to the strength of the writing and the successful pace
of the comedy.
Throughout the story, the filmmakers jump between so many influences, past
and present, that it is a joy to simply watch the movie run with its tangents
and
gain a sort of manic momentum. If you watch closely you’ll see references
to voice mail, unions, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Tinker bell, “Lord
of the Rings,” “From Here To Eternity,” Cinderella and even
a climax straight out of “Ghostbusters.”
If the film has one weakness, it may be the parent-child drama of the film’s
first half, when this creative world feels a bit trapped within family dinners,
late-night chats and arguments. Simply put, we expect something more unconventional
from a film like “Shrek 2.”
Never fear, though, loyal “Shrek” fans. By the film’s last
moment, buried within the credits, the sequel has come close to rivaling the
original and you will leave ready to see it all again. I don’t imagine
I’ll be writing that compliment often this summer.
 
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