Shrek 2 (2004)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Directors:

Andrew Adamson
Kelly Asbury

Writers:

William Steig (book)
Andrew Adamson (story)

Release Date:

19 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

In summer 2004, they're back for more....

Plot:

Princess Fiona's parents invite her and Shrek to dinner to celebrate her marriage. If only they knew the newlyweds were both ogres.

Plot Keywords:

Shrek | Ogre | Princess | King | Newlywed

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Mike Myers	...	Shrek (voice)
Eddie Murphy	...	Donkey (voice)
Cameron Diaz	...	Princess Fiona (voice)
Julie Andrews	...	Queen (voice)
Antonio Banderas	...	Puss In Boots (voice)
John Cleese	...	King (voice)
Rupert Everett	...	Prince Charming (voice)
Jennifer Saunders	...	Fairy Godmother (voice)
Aron Warner	...	Wolf (voice)
Kelly Asbury	...	Page / Elf / Nobleman / Nobleman's Son (voice)
Cody Cameron	...	Pinocchio / Three Pigs (voice)
Conrad Vernon	...	Gingerbread Man / Cedric / Announcer / Muffin Man / Mongo (voice)
Christopher Knights	...	Blind Mouse (voice)
David P. Smith	...	Herald / Man with Box (voice)
Mark Moseley	...	Mirror / Dresser (voice)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Denmark:A | Switzerland:8 (canton of Zurich) | France:U | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:L | South Africa:A | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Ireland:G | Japan:U | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Taiwan:GP | UK:U (cut) | USA:PG (certificate #40780) | Greece:K

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

An initial story concept was to have Fiona's father, King Harold, appear nude throughout the film, as in "The Emperor's New Clothes".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Shrek mounts Donkey as he runs into the castle during the rescue, he lands in front of Puss in Boots. In the next shot, Puss is in front of Shrek.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Prince Charming: Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, the king and queen were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, and throughout the land everyone was happy, until the sun went down, and they saw that their daughter was cursed with a frightful enchantment that took hold each and every night...
[...]

Movie Connections:

References The Fifth Element (1997)

Soundtrack:

Changes

More Shrekervescence!

I know what you're expecting me to say. "If you liked Shrek ..." And it's so true. Fans of the first will be ga-ga over the second. The gang at Dreamworks was smart enough not to monkey around with a winning formula, so you have all the wit and charm of Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and all the fantastic fairy-tale creatures.

At the beginning of 2, Shrek and Fiona have been invited by Fiona's parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) to the family castle. Imagine their surprise when the honeymooning ogres show up! Seems the king and queen haven't heard that a) Fiona's an ogre and b) that her husband is one, too. Naturally, this doesn't sit particularly well with the king, and soon he's hired a hit man - Puss in Boots, no less, voiced by Antonio Banderas - to bump off his new son in law. Meanwhile, a Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) offers help to Fiona. And quickly, the main question of the film - conveniently, it was the main question of the first film - is whether love conquers all. Oh, perhaps it's a bit more complex than that - perhaps it's whether Fiona would love Shrek, no matter what he looked like. Come to think of it, that was the theme of the first one as well.

Shrek and Fiona journey to the land of Far, Far Away, where the stuffy king and the queen mum live. Far, Far Away is a clear knockoff of Hollywood itself (complete with the sign on the mountain), and the journey includes a pass through what looks like Beverly Hills. The attention to detail is marvelous, as always.

As with 1, 2 drops all sorts of Disney references, most resulting in full-out belly laughter. I was in stitches, although perhaps - just perhaps - some of the humor will zoom over your tiny tot's tiny head.

Shrek 2 is a beautifully done movie, perhaps even more entertaining than the original. Sure, at the end you know your emotions have been manipulated somewhat, but in the end you really don't care. Outstanding voice performances, flawless animation, and a crisp, moderately adult (but not mature, definitely not mature) script reign supreme.