Yar, you be here: Shrek 2 (Full Screen Edition) > Customer Reviews

Shrek 2 (Full Screen Edition) Customer Reviews (7 - 9 of 17 Reviews)

It's not easy being green.
Fiona and Shrek are blissful ogres on their honeymoon in "Shrek 2," the delightful new animated film from Dreamworks. Shrek would like nothing better than to wallow in the swamp and lie on the beach with the love of his life. The couple's solitude is disturbed, however, when the fast-talking and impudent donkey who was Shrek's sidekick in the first movie knocks on their door and makes himself at home. Donkey is too clueless to know that two's company and three's a crowd. Shrek is even more chagrined when Princess Fiona's parents, the King and Queen, invite their daughter and her new husband to the palace. Shrek correctly predicts that his in-laws will be shocked when they discover that their daughter married an ogre. In fact, the King desperately wants Fiona to dump Shrek and marry Prince Charming, a fey blond egomaniac who is overly attached to his pushy mother. All this conflict puts a strain on the newlyweds.

"Shrek 2" scores in all areas. The acting is marvelous, with Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz heading an all-star cast. Jennifer Saunders is a standout as an aggressive fairy godmother with a mean streak. The animation is terrific, the special effects are marvelous, and there are musical numbers, satirical allusions, and lots of sight gags to entertain kids and adults alike. Kick back and enjoy this perfect summer movie.

Happily Ever After?
SEQUELS ARE NEVER BETTER THAN THE FIRST MOVIE (Apparently). That's what they tell us, yet there are some that re-capture the essence of the first and infuse it with something new- THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, TERMINATOR 2 and X-MEN 2 have proven that the impossible can be done. And so the inevitable SHREK 2 arrives, and I have to say, as funny as the characters are, it isn't actually as good as the original. The animation has gone light years from the first experimental film, with some photo-realistic vistas and backgrounds, and the story is tighter this time around, but I was expecting something of a rapid fire laugh-fest when I got a few good laughs and not much else.

Antonio Banderas' Puss In Boots is the highlight, stealing every scene he's in, and Eddie Murphy proves once again that he's better at doing cartoon animal voices rather than his usual childish rubbish- HAUNTED MANSION, DADDY DAY CARE, PLUTO NASH (Shudder!). The supporting 'cast' of Prince Charming, the giant gingerbread man, Pinnochio etc are all really great, providing a healthy string of gags and I love the send-up of COPS- brilliant! Unfortunately, Mike Myers brings nothing new to the cantankerous green ogre, doing the same shtick he always does. And the story is SOOOOO predictable I saw it coming a mile away. There are a couple of good character arcs that I thought were handled really well however, and despite the flaws, there is something eminently likeable about the whole film. Kids of course, love every second, and all the parents who get dragged along will get some good chuckles. Good soundtrack too. But sadly, this is filed under "Almost as good as the first-but not quite".

Think Shrek was good? Go back for seconds!
Normally, sequels aren't all that appealing-they take money away from completely new story lines in films, the movie industry is exponentially producing sequels, and often, the sequel sours the memory of the original. However, Shrek 2 is a wonderful exception to the rule-it surpasses its original.
The movie seems to take a little while to build momentum (not that there's a lack of humor anywhere in the movie) but with the entrance of Puss in Boots, the film reaches full steam and never lets down, right to the bonus scene in the credits. There are plenty of pop culture refrences (slight spoiler: note that Sir Justin's picture over Fiona's bed bears a striking resemblence to Justin Timberlake, the beau of Fiona's voice Cameron Diaz), but what truly makes the movie is the cast. The original voices are equalled in talent by the additions, particularly Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, who is even more hilarious than Donkey.
The message-something like 'love is blind, don't change to please society,' is the same as the original Shrek, but the message is universal, and there are very few people in this world who are satisfied in their own skin, so this is not a disadvantage to the film. The characters (except for Prince Charming-certainly a name change is in order!- and the Fairy Godmother) are endearing in all their triumphs and failures, but be warned-for cat lovers, Puss in Boots steals the show! Kids and adults alike-enjoy!!!

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6

Next Page