Although Shrek is still regarded as a revolutionary modern classic for both Dreamworks and mainstream animation, its first sequel Shrek 2 is just as culturally significant as its predecessor, if not arguably more-so. Released in 2004 to strong critical and audience appraisal, the film held the record for the highest grossing animated feature length film of all time for the remainder of the 2000s decade and has gone down as one of the finest sequels of a beloved popular movie out there. So as this sequel happens to be one of my childhood favorites, how well does it hold up after 20 years in the spotlight?
The film continues with Shrek and Fiona now being married and getting invited to Fiona's parent's kingdom of Far Far Away. When the zealous Fairy Godmother becomes adamant about Fiona marrying her son Prince Charming, she plots to destroy the ogre's marriage. As a continuation from the film's happily ever after conclusion, this sequel focuses on Shrek struggling to be around his in-laws and coming to terms with him and Fiona being ogres amidst the kingdom's standards and practices. The film's heart lies in how devastating Shrek and Fiona's relationship becomes in confronting their distinct backgrounds, resulting in a conflict between prophesied fairy tales and true love. Thanks in large part to the genuine affection between Shrek and Fiona and the strong chemistry between Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, the theme of remembering those you care about in spite of societal expectations still holds up well throughout the feature. It's shocking how much a pop culture spewing comedy like Shrek 2 could have such a strong statement on the pros and cons of true love.
Speaking of pop culture references, a lot of the movie's humor is at its strongest in playing with the newer characters and scenarios introduced in it. Of course the satirization of Disney movies is still prevalent as always, and arguably more blatant than the first film, but the humor is more reliant on twisting fairy tale formulas and tropes and throwing as many humorous gags and puns throughout the world of Far Far Away. It's saying how much detail was put into the production design when the variety of stores and buildings across the kingdom work well as off brand puns for famous companies. While the barrage of pop culture references might not be to everyone's taste, the cast and filmmakers keep the timing and character interactions energetic enough to warrant giggles from just a single line delivery and spoof of media at the time. As much as Shrek 2's story works well as an expanded continuation of events from its predecessor, its heart and humor are part of what make it stand strong as a worthy successor to an already uniquely fractured fairy tale.
As this feature introduces a new cast of characters in addition to Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, they all stand out well on their own with their distinctively conflicting roles and enjoyable personalities. Much of this can be attributed to the strong cast, including Antonio Banderas as the noble yet feline frenzied Puss in Boots, John Cleese as the stern yet rightfully concerned King Harold, Julie Andrews as the more reasonable Queen Lillian, Rupert Everett as the selfishly spoiled Prince Charming, and Jennifer Saunders as the pathologically powerful Fairy Godmother. While Myers, Diaz and Eddie Murphy continue bringing the needed enthusiasm and inner emotion into the characters we know and love, the newer cast elevates this sequel so well that the adventure wouldn't be the same without it. It's really saying how much fun the actors were having when Jennifer Saunders' cover of I Need a Hero is arguably more memorable and thrilling than the original. With a strong blend of familiar faces and genuine newcomers, this might be the most enthralling cast in a Dreamworks sequel to date.
Going into the animation direction, Shrek 2 does show its age the most here and yet still has its own dated charm from a time when CGI was still in its primitive stages. Since the Shrek films were intended to be crafted from a pseudo realistic approach, the otherwise top of line craftsmanship shown on screen does pale in comparison to today's more advanced computer generated family movies. That being said, the amount of detail and talent displayed by the crew is nothing short of impressive, especially with the vast scope and scale of Far Far Away as an expansive metropolis in lieu of its kingdom backdrop. In addition, the highly expressive character animation makes up for the lanky character designs that mix up humans and fairy tale creatures smoothly in their own world. Some notable creative touches can include the diverse magic from Fairy Godmother's wand and Puss's agile abilities, and it's almost a miracle that all of the cast's hair, fur and cloth turned out so well for its time. Regardless of its age, the animation remains uniquely grounded for all the right reasons.
By adding new concepts, characters and world-building than initially thought, Shrek 2 has aged like fine wine as a strong successor to a celebrated phenomenon of a mature animated family film. Arguably more expensive, heartfelt and hilarious than its predecessor, this is easily the go to Shrek movie for fans and newcomers alike, and it's still worth checking out after all these years. Maybe I'm only saying this based on pure nostalgia alone, but I'm always happy to sing this feature's praises as much as the next genzier. I guess I love this movie the same way Shrek and Fiona love each other so fondly today.
The film continues with Shrek and Fiona now being married and getting invited to Fiona's parent's kingdom of Far Far Away. When the zealous Fairy Godmother becomes adamant about Fiona marrying her son Prince Charming, she plots to destroy the ogre's marriage. As a continuation from the film's happily ever after conclusion, this sequel focuses on Shrek struggling to be around his in-laws and coming to terms with him and Fiona being ogres amidst the kingdom's standards and practices. The film's heart lies in how devastating Shrek and Fiona's relationship becomes in confronting their distinct backgrounds, resulting in a conflict between prophesied fairy tales and true love. Thanks in large part to the genuine affection between Shrek and Fiona and the strong chemistry between Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, the theme of remembering those you care about in spite of societal expectations still holds up well throughout the feature. It's shocking how much a pop culture spewing comedy like Shrek 2 could have such a strong statement on the pros and cons of true love.
Speaking of pop culture references, a lot of the movie's humor is at its strongest in playing with the newer characters and scenarios introduced in it. Of course the satirization of Disney movies is still prevalent as always, and arguably more blatant than the first film, but the humor is more reliant on twisting fairy tale formulas and tropes and throwing as many humorous gags and puns throughout the world of Far Far Away. It's saying how much detail was put into the production design when the variety of stores and buildings across the kingdom work well as off brand puns for famous companies. While the barrage of pop culture references might not be to everyone's taste, the cast and filmmakers keep the timing and character interactions energetic enough to warrant giggles from just a single line delivery and spoof of media at the time. As much as Shrek 2's story works well as an expanded continuation of events from its predecessor, its heart and humor are part of what make it stand strong as a worthy successor to an already uniquely fractured fairy tale.
As this feature introduces a new cast of characters in addition to Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, they all stand out well on their own with their distinctively conflicting roles and enjoyable personalities. Much of this can be attributed to the strong cast, including Antonio Banderas as the noble yet feline frenzied Puss in Boots, John Cleese as the stern yet rightfully concerned King Harold, Julie Andrews as the more reasonable Queen Lillian, Rupert Everett as the selfishly spoiled Prince Charming, and Jennifer Saunders as the pathologically powerful Fairy Godmother. While Myers, Diaz and Eddie Murphy continue bringing the needed enthusiasm and inner emotion into the characters we know and love, the newer cast elevates this sequel so well that the adventure wouldn't be the same without it. It's really saying how much fun the actors were having when Jennifer Saunders' cover of I Need a Hero is arguably more memorable and thrilling than the original. With a strong blend of familiar faces and genuine newcomers, this might be the most enthralling cast in a Dreamworks sequel to date.
Going into the animation direction, Shrek 2 does show its age the most here and yet still has its own dated charm from a time when CGI was still in its primitive stages. Since the Shrek films were intended to be crafted from a pseudo realistic approach, the otherwise top of line craftsmanship shown on screen does pale in comparison to today's more advanced computer generated family movies. That being said, the amount of detail and talent displayed by the crew is nothing short of impressive, especially with the vast scope and scale of Far Far Away as an expansive metropolis in lieu of its kingdom backdrop. In addition, the highly expressive character animation makes up for the lanky character designs that mix up humans and fairy tale creatures smoothly in their own world. Some notable creative touches can include the diverse magic from Fairy Godmother's wand and Puss's agile abilities, and it's almost a miracle that all of the cast's hair, fur and cloth turned out so well for its time. Regardless of its age, the animation remains uniquely grounded for all the right reasons.
By adding new concepts, characters and world-building than initially thought, Shrek 2 has aged like fine wine as a strong successor to a celebrated phenomenon of a mature animated family film. Arguably more expensive, heartfelt and hilarious than its predecessor, this is easily the go to Shrek movie for fans and newcomers alike, and it's still worth checking out after all these years. Maybe I'm only saying this based on pure nostalgia alone, but I'm always happy to sing this feature's praises as much as the next genzier. I guess I love this movie the same way Shrek and Fiona love each other so fondly today.