Shrek 2

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, where fairy tales are in fact reality, exists the fantastic world where Shrek resides. Join us for the review of his second outing.

The original Shrek movie was described as the greatest fairy tale never told and it went on to win the hearts of millions. After the success of the first film it was obvious that a sequel would rear its head in the future and surprise, surprise here it is! Sequels tend to be hit or miss; they either build upon the initial story or are cheap commercial spin-offs, thankfully Shrek proves to be the former.

Mike Myers' loveable character returns to the screens and brings a wonderful brand of comedy despite his hideous appearance. Don't judge a book by its cover otherwise you'll be missing out on one of the most unique films to be released in recent times. The first movie in the series set a new trend for animated movies when it proved that they weren't simply children's entertainment and provided us with plenty of laughs as well as pulling a few heart strings. So is it possible that Shrek 2 would surpass its predecessor? Read on to find out!

The storyline follows off from where the last movie finished, Shrek and Fiona are happily living in the swamp when they receive an invitation to meet Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far, Far Away. The in-laws are in for a shock however when they discover that Prince Charming didn't break the spell over their daughter and as a result Fiona is an ogre. Being typical parents they want the best for their child so their relationship with their new son-in-law is frosty to say the least! Playing upon their reservations, the evil Fairy Godmother hatches a plan to split up the couple so that her son, Prince Charming, may win the hand of Princess Fiona. Shrek and Donkey head off on another quest to save the day and are joined by a new character, Puss in Boots, as well as all the cast favourites from the previous movie. What ensues is another comic caper that all the family can go and watch; whether you have seen the original or not doesn't matter, be sure to make it to the cinema and catch what is sure to be one of the biggest hits of the year.

Simply put, this movie is going to be one of the best films you see all year. Slightly over-rated it may be but it is a barrel of laughs and provides great entertainment for all the family. The wonderful thing about the Shrek movies is that they have such tremendous appeal due to the majority of the world's familiarity with the fairy tales they parody. In the first movie the writers built upon this appeal by adding their own brand of humour into the mix and in Shrek 2 they continue on with their good work by building upon the storyline and adding new characters. Somehow they manage to work in a load of new gags and completely reinvent some fairy tale legends on the way, trust me you'll never think of Prince Charming or the Fairy Godmother the same way again! Mike Myers and the gang can really do no wrong in this movie, by taking a proven formula of comedy, music and romance they provide the cinema going public with a welcome escape from their everyday lives.

The animation involved in Shrek 2 is simply breathtaking, there are moments when you will perch up in your seat and wonder how they achieved such fantastic results. The modelling involved in creating Shrek himself is perhaps the greatest achievement of the animators involved, during close-ups scenes he looks so well rounded that he is almost lifelike. The interaction between the characters is superb and the viewer gets a real sense of the emotions involved despite the fact that everything on screen is the product of a computer. You'll laugh, cry, gasp and despair as the heroes go about their daily tasks, the crew get to have lots of fun with all the fairytale characters and put them in the most ridiculous situations to hilarious effect This is especially evident in the case of Puss in Boots; this intrepid adventurer puts Ethan Hawke's efforts to shame but at the same time is often caught grooming himself in awkward situations due to his feline nature. If the quality of this movie is anything to go by then expect to see a lot more high-calibre animated features hitting the big screen near you.

My main gripe with the film is that it is a victim of its own hype, the marketing machine behind it has convinced most of the western world that Shrek 2 is the best thing since sliced bread. As a result I was slightly disappointed when I walked out of the cinema, but upon further reflection I was able to appreciate it for the good movie that it is. In this respect it's worth seeing Shrek 2 at least twice, that way not only will you put a big grin on the faces of the executive producers but you'll have a smile from ear to ear as well. Apart from that I was satisfied with the majority of the movie, it was slightly slow to get into at first but the comedy steadily drew me in. That said it is worth pointing out that a lot of the laughs are based on fairy tales and some people may find such juvenile comedy beneath them, they of course will be in a distinct minority but there are always those that chose to dismiss the achievements of similar offerings due to the fact that they are animated features.

Shrek is one of the best animated films ever and it created some of the most memorable characters in recent times, if you have seen the first movie then you will be happy to know that all of your favourites are back again for a second helping. One of the most amazing things about this film is the wonderful atmosphere involved which quite clearly existed in the production stages of filming. The movie has elicited some of the best performances in recent times of some of it stars such as Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, both of whom have struggled at the box office of late but soar with ease in Shrek 2.

Of all the film's characters I'd have to say that my favourite was Donkey, I am a big Eddie Murphy mark so it is fantastic to see him put his talents to some use for once rather than flop in another generic comedy. He is a constant scene stealer throughout the film and despite the best efforts of the new kid on the block, Puss in Boots, his charm puts him over the edge and Donkey has remained the most popular character. Despite his limited screen time I have to give Pinocchio credit, he was simply superb and the writers did a fantastic job of having some fun with the character. You would pretty much think that they had run out of gags to make his nose grow but they pulled the cat out of the bag for this film, prepare to laugh your heart out!

There is a very strong cast backing up the film, the British influence is unquestionable and it pays dividends. John Cleese is back on screen again and is nothing short of wonderful; despite being from the old school of comedy he shows today's stars a thing or two about subtlety. It doesn't have to all be about wise-cracks and slapstick, getting a laugh out of the audience indirectly is a science within itself and one which Cleese is a master of. His character, the King, has a fitting bride in Julie Andrews whose previous roles in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins make her ideal for the part. As usual she is the most sensible character in the film and is probably the only fairy tale character that isn't mocked. One interesting tidbit is the difference in actors used for the role of the Ugly Stepsister on both sides of the Atlantic, in America Larry King's vocal talents are employed but on this side of the sea Jonathan Ross has been cast for the part. It is a nice little feature that the producers have thrown in which will undoubtedly appeal to both sets of fans in either country, in my opinion Ross' lisp adds to the character and makes him my top choice for the role.

This is going to be one of the biggest movies of 2004 and rightly so, in the wake of some poor offerings from Hollywood it is great to see things get back on track.

Piaras Kelly
Editor, Kikizo Movies