[year/rating] 2004 PG [genre] Fantasy Animated [director] Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon [starring] Mike Myers Eddie Murphy Cameron Diaz Antonio Banderas

Tagline

Once upon another time...

Summary Capsule

Conniving king, feline fencer and singing sorceress oppose obstinate ogre and annoying ass, but long labors lead to lifelong love.

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Drew's Rating: Go, Mongo, go!
Drew's Review: Soooo… another summer, another onslaught of computer animated movies. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, as the general quality level seems to be pretty high (Statement void for Tron). Still, if there was one that stood out other than Finding Nemo in the last couple of years, it was definitely the surprise hit Shrek. With the immense popularity of the first movie, almost all of the cast members returning (plus several promising new characters), and a bigger marketing blitz than the last three Tom Cruise movies combined, expectations for the sequel were sky high — fortunately, Shrek 2 doesn’t disappoint.

"It's basically your old familiar story: ogre marries princess, ogre seeks king's approval, fairy godmother hassles ogre, orge creates 100-foot gingerbread man to lay a beat-down on the bitch"

It's basically your old familiar story: ogre marries princess, ogre seeks king's approval, fairy godmother hassles ogre, orge creates 100-foot gingerbread man to lay a beat-down on the bitch... pretty standard, really. But what sets Shrek 2 apart from the pack is style. The first film was good, but at times it seemed to be too in love with its own concept. "Hey look," it cried, "We're messin' around with fairy tales! Ain't it cool?" (To which I replied that it was indeed… back when Rocky and Bullwinkle did it.)

In the sequel, everything just feels much more natural, as both the film’s creators and the audience are now familiar with the world that’s been established. The jokes are funnier and more frequent, and since the moral is basically the same as last time — don’t judge a book by its cover, real beauty comes from the inside (“Well that’s just something ugly people say”), etc. — they don’t have to spend as much time hammering it home, leaving additional room for comedy. Frankly, it’s a pop culture geek’s dream come true, containing more movie parodies than a season’s worth of The Critic. And if you’re not into that sort of thing… well, what the hell are you doing on this site, anyway?

In terms of the animation, I don’t really have much to say, but that’s not meant as a criticism — basically, it looks just as smooth and polished as the last one. The returning voice actors once again bring their A games, while John Cleese does a fine job with Fiona’s father, the King, and Antonio Banderas clearly has a great time hamming things up as “Puss-…in-Boots,” the hairball-hacking assassin hired to dispatch Shrek. Add in a deliciously evil Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) with a penchant for crooning tunes from Footloose, and you’ve got yourself a fiesta, amigo!

Low points? Well, nobody's perfect... I guess I could complain about the timing of having Pinocchio and the gang see Shrek's capture on TV while Fiona's marriage ball is about to start, then traveling hundreds of miles, carrying out a rescue mission, and still having time to make a giant gingerbread man before midnight. Honestly, though, who cares? It's a cartoon, marketed toward children and based on fairy tales... I think a bit of creative license is permissible. Meanwhile, it’s highly entertaining, suitable for all ages, and packed with more subtle visual gags than you could spot in three viewings. But by all means, have a great time trying!

“Hello. My name is Puss-in-Boots. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” “…I’m sorry I lost the map, sorry we’re gonna die out here… I’m just so, so sorry…” PoolMan models this year’s line of kilts to unanimous approval. Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb] Even half of the movie/pop culture parodies? Just from memory, I caught The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, The Lord of the Rings, video game Street Fighter 2, Spider-Man, Alien, Beverly Hills Cop, The Seven-Year Itch, Garfield, Raiders of the Lost Ark, “Sir” Justin (Timberlake), Beauty and the Beast, Mission: Impossible, TV shows Cops and Seinfeld, Ghostbusters, Blazing Saddles, E.T., Flashdance, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I’m sure there are plenty more that I missed, too. Puss-in-Boots is voiced by Antonio Banderas, who played the title character in The Mask of Zorro. In the movie, Puss carves a “P” into a tree with three strokes of his sword, just like Zorro’s infamous “Z.” When the Fairy Godmother gives the king a potion to make Fiona fall in love with Prince Charming, it’s labeled “IX”… that is, love potion number 9. Disney is made fun of numerous times: Fiona finds Ariel kissing Shrek and throws her away into a group of sharks; Tinkerbell is one of the fairies used as lights (and later dances with Gigi); Captain Hook is playing piano in The Poison Apple; and during the escape from the “Old Keebler Place,” we see Lumiere and Cogsworth flying around. Many of the store signs in Far Far Away are spoofs of actual stores. I won’t list them all, but my favorites are Old Knavery (Navy) and Tower of London Records. In Fiona’s room, there’s a “Stonehenge” poster featuring the members of Spinal Tap. Yesssssss! The COPS parody The wolf at the first scene is reading 'Pork Illustrated' with a picture of a pig in a swimming suit on the cover. [thanks Ohad] There is someone that cleans the horses at the city when Shrek and Fiona first arrive. He gets a quarter (or something) for his service and checks with his teeth that it is real. [thanks Ohad] When Shrek, Donkey and Puss run away from the fairy godmother at her plant, there is a picture on the wall with "employee of the month" with all the employees look excatly the same! [thanks Ohad] When Mongo is attacking Far, Far Away, there is one part where he reaches down and he picks up a coffee cup off what looks like a Starbucks. When this happens, the people inside flee in terror. Normally, this isn't funny, but the funny part is where they run to: the Starbucks across the street. [thanks Pat] Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits? Yep — about halfway through we get one final, really cute scene that explains where Dragon's been and is guaranteed to make you go “awwww…” for at least 5 minutes. Intermission! [some sources: IMDb] Shrek 2 is officially the highest-grossing animated film of all time (to date), surpassing Finding Nemo in just 25 days. It’s also the second Mike Meyers sequel to gross more in 2 weeks than the original did in its entire box office run (the first being Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me). Groovy Quotes Shrek: Oh, look! A little cat. [Puss-in-Boots brandishes his sword] Donkey: Look out, Shrek, he got a piece! Donkey: Let's neuter him right now! Give him the Bob Barker treatment! Donkey: Then this fool went off and had a party, and they all start trying to pin a tail on me. Then they all got drunk, and started hitting me with sticks, yelling "Piñata! Piñata!" What the hell is a piñata, anyway? Puss-in-Boots: I hate Mondays. Donkey: Oh, Shrek, don't worry. Things just seem bad because it's dark and rainy and Fiona's father hired a sleazy hitman to whack you. Bartender [to Donkey]: Why the long face? Puss-in-Boots: Fear me, if you dare! Donkey [to Puss-in-Boots]: The position of annoying talking animal has been filled. Shrek: Thank you, gentlemen. Someday I will repay you, unless of course I can't find you, or if I forget. Knight: Yep, that's catnip. Puss-in-Boots: That’s, um... not mine... Donkey: You're supposed to say, "You have the right to remain silent." No one said I had the right to remain silent! Shrek: Donkey, you HAVE the right to remain silent. What you lack is the CAPACITY. Queen [to husband]: Oh, don't be such a drama king. Shrek: Join the club. We got jackets. [Donkey collapses in a dead faint] Puss-in-Boots: Hey, boss. Let's shave him. Shrek: Quick tell a lie! Pinocchio: What should I say? Donkey: Say something crazy... like you're wearing ladies underwear. Pinocchio: Um, ok. I'm wearing ladies underwear. [silence] Shrek: Are you? Pinocchio: I most certainly am not. [nose extends] Donkey: It looks like you most certainly am are. Pinocchio: I am not. [nose extends] Puss-in-Boots: What kind? Gingerbread Man: IT'S A THONG! Gingerbread Man: It looks like we're up chocolate creek without a Popsicle stick! Shrek: How many cats can wear boots? Honestly?... Puss-in-Boots: Pray for mercy from Puss... in boots. Princess Fiona: Shrek? Puss-in-Boots: For you, baby, I could be. Donkey: [to Puss] If we need an expert on licking ourselves, we'll call you. Puss-in-Boots: [to Shrek] I too was concocting this very same plan, already our minds are becoming one! Soundtrack Review Some good 80's representation, including classic David Bowie and the best movie use of "Holding Out For A Hero" since Short Circuit 2. To round it out, Counting Crows contributes about the only genuinely cheerful song they've ever done. Woohoo! If you liked this movie, try these: Shrek Finding Nemo Toy Story 2 End Credits This review page was last updated on 7.30.04 MRFH Home . Reviews . Findaflik . Features! . MRFH Forum e-mail Mutant HQ © 2004 Mutant Reviewers From Hell (Original Content). All Rights Reserved.