Shrek 2
Reviewed by Rich Drees

     Sometimes "Happily ever after" isn't so much a forgone conclusion as it is something you have to work to make happen. That's the lesson that newlywed ogre Shrek and his wife Princess Fiona discover in Shrek 2, the sequel to the popular animated Academy Award film of 2001.

     Returning from their honeymoon to their home in the swamp, Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) find a summons to meet Fiona's parents the King and Queen of Far, Far Away. Shrek is none too eager to make the trip, rightly assuming that is father-in-law will be none too pleased that his daughter has married a big, green ogre. However, Fiona talks him in to going and, with friend Donkey (Eddie Murphy) in tow, the trio arrive at the castle and find themselves in a fairy tale variation of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? The King (John Cleese) is none too happy that Fiona has married Shrek, as he had promised her to the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) for her son Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). Seeking to remove Shrek from the picture the King hires Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas, plating a nice riff off of his Mask Of Zorro (1998) character) to waylay the ogre. However, Puss joins up with Shrek and Donkey to stop the Fairy Godmother from using a magic potion to cause Fiona to fall in love with Prince Charming.

     I was never much a fan of the first Shrek. While it was entertaining in parts, if one were to use a fairy tale analogy here, I felt that this Emperor had no clothes. The message of the film seemed to be that love should be deeper than just physical beauty. Fiona fell in love with Shrek for his heart and didn't care that he was big, green and ugly. But then the movie shoots itself in the foot at end by copping out with the whole "But it's ok for her to love him because she's been cursed to be an ogre too!" nonsense. Also, the movie is way over crammed with topical jokes, which will probably not age well. Fifteen years from now I predict a generation of children will be wondering why their parents are laughing at this movie.

     Shrek 2 is no better than the first installment, and in some ways, it’s worse. If you get the feeling that some of the segments in Shrek 2 feel a little worn don’t be surprised. Some segments had their origin in the development of the first film. These ideas, which include the Fairy Godmother and the awkward dinner with royalty, were dropped when they didn’t fit with the overall feel of the first film. They don’t fare much better here though. While the angle of Shrek meeting his disapproving in-laws is certainly rife with comic possibilities, the whole second half of the movie’s plot involving the Fairy Godmother and the backroom deals she made with the King is weak and doesn’t feel natural with the first half of the film.

     One of the few things going for the first film was its often times clever deconstruction of various fairy tales. Shrek 2 forsakes that vein humor in order to make cheap puns. The kingdom of Far, Far Away is modeled off of Beverly Hills, leading us to such throw away gags as stores named “Versarchers” and “Farbucks”. Some jokes seem lifted from other sources entirely. Fans of acerbic comic Lewis Black will recognize a gag involving two Farbucks Coffee Shops located across the street from each other.

     Watching Shrek 2, it’s hard to escape the cynical feel that this was made more to cash in then from any desire to continue the story of Shrek and Fiona. (Yes, I know this is the Hollywood film industry I’m talking about, but stay with me.) Several montage sequences are scored with rather banal pop songs whose inclusion seems calculated to recreate the popularity (and sales) of the first film’s cover of “I’m A Believer” by rock group Smashmouth. The sequence where Shrek, Donkey and Puss In Boots escape from Fairy Godmother’s potion factory is severely undercut by the pop song accompanying it, as an old style orchestral score would have served the scene more effectively.