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The Shrek phenomenon has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Not that I hated the first movie. In fact, my computer tells me I gave it two and a half stars (out of five). But I just didn't get what all the fuss was about. What's funny about Shrek acting as if he's a big-time wrestler? Why did the scene have to go on for five minutes? How many burp and fart jokes does any movie need, and why were adults laughing so much? I was in the minority, though, as audiences flocked and flocked again to see the big green ogre and his soon-to-be-wife Fiona.

So it goes without saying that I wasn't exactly counting down the days to Shrek 2. But when the sequel started out with a brilliantly animated sequence in which Prince Charming rushes through rain, fire, and other obstacles to reach the bedside of his beloved, well I sat up in my chair. Maybe this would be ok, even an improvement on the original. Then I laughed as Shrek and Fiona took their honeymoon in a secluded gingerbread house. Maybe this would be beautiful and funny. But then came the newlywed montage, set to a Counting Crows song. In and of itself, there's nothing wrong with that. But this is only the first of at least six musical montages Shrek 2 includes in its 100-minute running time.

A musical montage is a dialogue-free scene in which we see brief snippets of various scenes structured around a common theme. So in the newlywed montage, there's Shrek and Fiona cavorting through the meadow, laughing at each other's jokes, and basically making googly eyes at each other. Musical montages are a staple of animated films, as they're designed to communicate some basic emotion which is reinforced by the choice of music. In the Toy Story movies, this would usually be a sad or nostalgic song, something that would tug on the heartstrings of the parents in the audience.

Musical montages are often a sign of unimaginative filmmaking. If you can't find a way to manipulate the audience's emotions, throw in a music montage and that'll do the trick. They can also function as virtual advertisements for the soundtrack--look at all the great songs you'll get if you buy the cd today! That Shrek 2 includes at least a half dozen of these scenes is a serious drawback. Furthermore, unlike the first movie which had the good taste to choose songs by Leonard Cohen and others, the sequel relies on tunes that are already desperately familiar: "Changes," "Le Freak," "Funkytown," and "Ain't No Stopping Us Now." Talk about a lack of creativity.

Fortunately, the parts of Shrek 2 that aren't advertising for the soundtrack are pretty good. There aren't as many gags as in the first one, though there's a priceless parody of the "Cops" television show. But there's an even stronger emphasis on the story. Shrek and Fiona return to Fiona's parents to receive their blessing. The latter aren't thrilled to find out their son-in-law is an ogre. John Cleese and Julie Andrews are marvelous as the voices of the parents, and the family conflict is handled nicely. Even better, though, is the introduction of The Fairy Godmother who, in a wonderful turn of expectations, turns out to be a manipulative witch creating potions in her sweatshop factory. Her entrance is a brilliant song that parodies our culture's fascination with possessions and plastic surgery.

The best new character of all, though, is Puss In Boots, hilariously voiced by Antonio Banderas. At first, he's Shrek's nemesis, but then he becomes the new sidekick, a development barely tolerated by the Donkey. The interplay between Banderas and Eddie Murphy as the Donkey is fantastic. And when Puss coughs up a hairball, the animation is staggeringly funny. Actually, the animation is pretty much fantastic across the board. The animators still haven't figured out human characters' facial expressions, but everything else looks as true as can be. The background scenery is particularly awe-inspiring, worthy of hanging on someone's wall.

If the movie ended with the focus on story and animation, Shrek 2 would be a delightful summer movie. But instead it returns to the music montage, with not one but two final scenes structured around the music instead of the tale. First is "Holding Out for a Hero" (made famous by Bonnie Tyler) and then "Livin' La Vida Loca." That last one is wrong for so many reasons. Still, when all's said and done, I liked the sequel better than the original. It's not a great movie, but its good parts make up for the bad. 

J. Robert Parks  5/22/2004

After a couple disappointing weeks in the summer movie season, Shrek 2 has arrived to the appreciation of viewers young and old. The sequel to 2001's surprisingly huge hit, this one has the mass character appeal to get the kids and the inside jokes and hidden innuendos to interest the adults.

When we last left Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz), they got married and decided to live the Ogre life together. However, we soon find out that Fiona's parents, the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) of Far Far Away, aren't too thrilled to find that their daughter was rescued by an Ogre instead of Prince Charming as they had originally planned. Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming launch a plan to do away with Shrek and give Fiona the husband she was initially supposed to receive. Throw in Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and the entertaining new character Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas) and you've got a fun and hilarious race to save a relationship in distress.

Simply put, this is a movie that works really well and it does so on multiple levels. First, these animated characters are personable and funny, an element that goes a long way in making kids enjoy the film. The secondary characters are well-used and hilarious.

Another level where Shrek 2 thrives is in satire. There may be more references to other movies in Shrek 2 than any other movie (animated or non) that I have ever seen. This ranges from Disney animated features such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast to currently popular items such as Lord of the Rings and Spiderman. There are even subtle references to classics such as Alien and Blazing Saddles. The pop culture references are everywhere too, including Justin Timberlake and Starbucks. From my vantage point, spotting the subtle references to pop culture and movies was one of the most enjoyable things about Shrek 2.

Finally, Shrek 2 has a very good story. Sure, it’s a fairy tale, but a very applicable one. We see on screen the choice between the happily ever after life or a life more ordinary. This heartwarming tale realizes that true value comes from within and has little to do with what greets the eye. This theme is challenged by hilarious jokes that end up only strengthening the meaning in the end. For this, I can recommend Shrek 2 to audiences of all ages. 

Trae Cadenhead  5/24/2004
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