Shrek, a computer-animated movie, was released in 2001. The movie was very successful and even won the first Academy Award for an animated movie. I saw that movie in the theater and now own the DVD. I really enjoyed that movie, and I have been looking forward to seeing Shrek 2 for a long time.
In discussing some things that happened in Shrek 2, I will be mentioning things that would be spoilers for the first movie. Read at your own risk if you haven’t seen Shrek yet. I really think that people should see Shrek before seeing the sequel. Shrek 2 would completly ruin the first movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
Prince Charming rode up to a castle and made his way to the highest tower. He expected Princess Fiona to be waiting for him there to kiss her and break a spell. Instead, he found the Big Bad Wolf. Prince Charming was shocked to learn that Fiona was on her honeymoon.
Shrek and Fiona returned home to the swamp from their honeymoon. Donkey was at the swamp because he and Dragon had a falling out. Shrek wanted Donkey to leave so he and Fiona could be alone. Donkey started to leave, but then someone arrived with a summons for Fiona and Shrek. Her parents, King Harold and Queen Lillian, wanted Fiona and Shrek to come to Far Far Away for a ball in honor of their marriage. The visit would also let the king and queen meet their new son-in-law. Shrek was not thrilled about going. He didn’t think he would be accepted, but Fiona insisted on going. Donkey went with them. The trip took a long time, and Donkey was impatient to get there and kept asking if they were there yet.
Far Far Away was where famous fairytale characters went to live. It was a high class place, and Shrek felt out of place even just riding through town on the way to the castle. A huge crowd had gathered to welcome Fiona home. They didn’t expect her to be an ogre or have an ogre for a husband. Her father was horrified. Her mother was surprised, but tried to make the best of the situation. Shrek felt very out of place at the castle and wanted to return home. He and King Harold weren’t getting along, and Fiona was upset by that. Her Fairy Godmother arrived, saying she would make Fiona beautiful so she could marry a handsome prince. The Fairy Godmother was shocked to learn that Fiona was already married.
The Fairy Godmother was more than just surprised. She was angry. It seems that she and King Harold had made an arrangement in the past that Fiona would marry the Fairy Godmother’s son, Prince Charming. The Fairy Godmother wanted King Harold to fix the problem. He ended up hiring an assassin, Puss in Boots, to take care of Shrek.
VOICE TALENT
Mike Myers - Shrek Eddie Murphy - Donkey Cameron Diaz - Fiona Antonio Banderas - Puss in Boots John Cleese - King Harold Julie Andrews - Queen Lillian Rupert Everett - Prince Charming Jennifer Saunders - Fairy Godmother
Shrek 2 was released in theaters on May 19, 2004. The movie was rated PG and 93 minutes long. There was some crude humor used in the movie that could be upsetting to some viewers.
I really enjoyed Shrek 2. The movie was very entertaining. I thought it was very funny. Most of the main characters from the first movie returned, along with some of the minor characters like Gingy and Pinocchio. I really liked the original Shrek, and have been looking forward to seeing Shrek 2 for months. I have the first movie on DVD and will get this one on DVD as well.
The movie picked up after the ending of the first movie. Some things that weren’t really explained in the first movie, like how Fiona ended up in that tower, were explained. Shrek was a different sort of fairytale, and Shrek 2 continued that tradition. Usually fairytales end with the happily ever after and that is all that is known about the characters. There have been some sequels to some movie versions of fairytales, but they have been very few. Shrek 2 went beyond the happy ending to show what happened to Fiona and Shrek after that. They both had a lot of adjusting to do, and some of that was shown in this movie. There wasn’t too much that surprised me in this movie since I recently read a book, Shrek: From the Swamp to the Screen, about the making of both movies that contained some spoilers for the movie. There were still a few things that happened that I didn’t expect. Even though I knew a few things were going to happen, I still really enjoyed the movie. The movie was a bit predictable, but that is normal for this kind of movie.
The plot of Shrek 2 was a bit different for a fairytale, but it was similar to the original movie at times. Shrek continued to have insecurities about his self worth. He really felt out of place in Far Far Away, which caused some tension between him and Fiona. The villain from the first movie, Lord Farquaad, didn’t return, but there was a new villain, the Fairy Godmother. I never would have thought of a fairy godmother being a villain before, but it worked with this movie. She enjoyed manipulating people. Everyone in Far Far Away went to her for help. She didn’t like it when things didn’t go her way, and she had a temper. I’ve never seen a fairy godmother like her before. I thought she made a good villain for the movie. Shrek 2 continued to poke fun at some classic fairytales, and also took on Hollywood with Far Far Away. That city was full of things like stretch carriages and high-priced stores like the real Hollywood and Beverly Hills. There were even homes of some characters, like Cinderella, shown. I thought that some things about Far Far Away were funny. Setting most of the movie there added it. Making it like Hollywood really worked for the movie. I also thought it was interesting to finally see that there was an actual city named Far Far Away since that phrase has been used in many fairytales.
Shrek 2 was a funny movie. There were times when some bodily functions were used for comedic effect, but it wasn’t too often. Those things didn’t really bother me, though some people may feel differently. Shrek made a few silly jokes like he did in the first movie, but he didn’t do that as much. Donkey said and did more funny things, along with the new character of Puss in Boots. The cat was an assassin, but he ended up being really cute. He used his ability to look really sad to his advantage when fighting enemies at times. I always knew my cats were plotting something when they looked like that. Prince Charming acted silly and very superficial. He made me laugh more than once as well. After a few of the credits roll, a cute, funny part dealing mainly with one of the characters was shown. People really should wait to see that part. It only takes a few mintues for it to start, and it is well worth the wait.
Music played at different times throughout Shrek 2. It was important to the movie, like it was in the original movie. There were a few new songs as well as some new versions of older songs used throughout the movie. I loved the music. The songs that were used went perfectly with what was going on in the movie. Donkey sang a few lines here and there during the movie, and at the end, he and Puss did a song together. I enjoyed that song, though some people may find it annoying since Eddie Murphy is singing. The Fairy Godmother had a big number near the end of the movie. I loved that too. She sang Holding Out For a Hero, a song that I liked before. Jennifer Saunders, the actress who provided the voice for the Fairy Godmother, did a very good job with the song. A few weeks before the movie opened, I found a place online where I could listen to the entire soundtrack to the movie. After doing that, I decided that I wanted the CD. I should be getting the copy I ordered any day now. I have the soundtrack CD to the first movie as well.
Shrek 2 was a computer-animated movie, like the original Shrek. There was groundbreaking animation used in the first movie, and some of the techniques used in the new movie have improved the animation even more. There were scenes that showed trees in a forest. The leaves on the trees were blowing in the wind and looked so realistic I couldn’t believe it. Shrek 2 also did some new things with the animation of water. Finding Nemo, a computer-animated movie that came out last year, was set in the ocean, and the water looked wonderful in that movie. Shrek 2 didn’t have as much water, but it did do something that Finding Nemo didn’t. Reflections of some characters were shown in water. They looked amazing. Puss in Boots, one of the new characters, did some movements that were very realistic for a cat. He did walk on two feet, which is not normal. His tail was constantly in motion, twitching this way and that, as were his whiskers. The way his tail moved really reminded me of Elmo, one of my cats, and how he is always twitching his tail. At one point, Puss was shown bathing. He was in a position that I have seen both of my cats in many times.
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz returned to provided voices for characters in Shrek 2. They did well with their characters again. Fiona wasn’t in as much as of the movie as Shrek and Donkey were. Antonio Banderas provided the voice for a new character, Puss in Boots. His voice worked perfectly for Puss, who was a cat that acted like Zorro. Puss was poking a bit of fun at Zorro, the character that Banderas played in The Mask of Zorro. I really liked the character of Puss and would have liked it if he had been featured a bit more. John Cleese and Julie Andrews also joined the cast. They provided voices for King Harold and Queen Lillian, Fiona’s parents. I think they did well too, though they weren’t around too much. Rupert Everett’s voice worked great for Prince Charming. I really liked the voice that Jennifer Saunders provided for the Fairy Godmother. I could tell just from the tone of her voice when she was angry about something. Saunders also did a very good job with the two songs the Fairy Godmother sang in the movie.
CHARACTERS
Shrek - Large, green ogre trying to adjust to life as a newlywed. He loves Fiona, but he is still grumpy at times. He wanted to stay at his swamp where he felt comfortable. He didn’t want to go to Far Far Away, but he went for Fiona. Once there, he had to deal with some self doubts again. He had a temper, but he could be caring as well.
Fiona - She was a princess that had been locked in a tower waiting to be rescued. She was under a spell that would be broken by true love’s kiss. Shrek rescued her, and they fell in love. The spell was broken, but Fiona remained an ogre. She was kind and loving, traits not normal for an ogre. She wanted her parents and husband to get along. She was conflicted about a few things.
Donkey - Talking donkey that considers Shrek his best friend. Donkey was having some trouble in his relationship with Dragon. Donkey could be annoying at times, but he was a good friend.
Puss in Boots - An assassin cat that acted like Zorro. He was hired to go after Shrek, and then joined Shrek and Donkey on an adventure. Puss could be cute and cuddly or vicious.
King Harold and Queen Lillian - Fiona’s parents and the rulers of Far Far Away. King Harold wasn’t happy to see that his daughter was an ogre and that she marred someone other than Prince Charming. Queen Lillian was surprised by Fiona’s appearance and her new husband, but she was trying to be accepting.
Prince Charming - Handsome, superficial, and somewhat silly prince. He was supposed to rescue Fiona and marry her. He was too late. He was vain and loved attention.
Fairy Godmother - She had a big business based on helping people. She was Prince Charming’s mother, though that wasn’t well known. She had plotted and schemed to marry her son off to Fiona. The Fairy Godmother had a temper when things didn’t go her way. She tended to eat a lot when she was upset. She could be devious and wasn’t a typical fairy godmother.
I really enjoyed Shrek 2. The movie is funny and entertaining. My favorite characters from the first movie returned and were joined by new characters that I really liked as well. I will be getting this movie to add to my DVD collection as soon as I can.
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