Critter's Cave

The first Shrek came out several years ago, and was an instant smash, and if this weekend’s box office numbers are any indication, Shrek 2 is following in the original’s footsteps.

There is good reason for this enthusiasm – this is an excellent movie. I liked it because we got to see Fiona’s (Cameron Diaz) family and find out just why she was put in the tower Shrek (Michael Meyers) rescued her from in the first movie.
After returning from their honeymoon, our green couple is presented with a request to appear in Far Far Away Land to the King and Queen (Fiona’s parents) can meet her new husband. They, along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) make the trip to Far Far Away Land which will remind audiences of a certain Motion Picture Capital of the World on our west coast. The plot thickens as the King (John Cleese) is blackmailed by the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) to make sure that Shrek is taken out of the picture so her son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) can marry Fiona and inherit the throne. The rest of the movie is a riot as Shrek attempts to please Fiona’s parents while avoiding the traps that the Fairy Godmother sets, all in an attempt to give Fiona the “Happily Ever After” he thinks she deserves.
Most of our favorite bit characters from the first movie make an appearance here – Pinnochio, the Three Blind Mice, Magic Mirror, and the Gingerbread Man. As a bonus, we finally get to meet the Muffin Man on Drury Lane! Introduced in this movie is Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas), a swashbuckling tabby cat with the deadliest weapon in the world – “kitten eyes”! After an aborted attempt to take out Shrek, he actually befriends the ogre (much to Donkey’s chagrin) and fights with him to the end.
I loved both movies, but after some reflection, I find I like this one more than the first. The first felt like the whole ending was rushed, from the time Shrek mis-heard Fiona tell Donkey about her “condition” to the Deus ex machina of the Dragon being handy at just the right times. This one felt like a more cohesive story, while being more madcap than the original. It manages to thoroughly skewer Hollywood and the celebrity lifestyle, and carries the theme of the first movie ( that what is on the inside is what counts more than physical appearances) to its logical conclusion, and delivers a lesson that is lost on the Cult of Personality mentality so prevalent in today’s entertainment industry. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of Hollywood and Fairy Tales as shown in Far Far Away Land – the in-jokes are fast and furious. I am going to have to purchase the DVD when it is released just to see all the little details I missed – just as an example – in Far Far Away Land you can go to Baskin-Robin Hoods’s for some ice cream and Old Nunnery for clothing. And if your Farbucks gets smashed – well, there’s another one right across the street! The movie is packed with this kind of verisimilitude.
The look of the movie was fantastic – even better than the first in my opinion. After watching Shrek 2 on Friday, I was able to see the original this weekend, and there is a marked difference in quality. Donkey’s fur textures look even better, there are subtle touches to Shrek and Fiona’s models that make them look even more animated and expressive, and Puss-in-Boots is just a marvel of CG animation.
Shrek 2 hits all the right notes to make it not only a successful sequel, but one of those rare sequels that are better than the first – I give it 5 out of 5 Stars.
PS: As a bonus, the trailer for Shark Tale was attached to the film. Shark Tale is another new Dreamwork’s Animation movie set to open October 1st. This is going to be an interesting fall as The Incredibles, Pixar’s newest movie is set to open just a few weeks later.