Movie Review: Shrek 2

Shrek 2

Even as a child, I wasn't a big fan of animation (my favored Saturday morning fare was H.R. Puffenstuff which, as it happens, is now out on DVD and which I may just have to buy out of nostalgia if not for those crazy Banana Splits). As an adult, I can count on the fingers of one hand the animated movies I've seen. I had to be cajoled into seeing Shrek by a friend who insisted that, despite it being animated, I'd like it. Well, the friend was right. I did like Shrek. I liked it a lot. That's why, despite the danger of my second least favorite thing in movie theatres (small children), I found myself buying tickets to Shrek 2 on opening weekend. Having now seen some of the most astounding achievements in computer animation to date, I have to confess that I'm well on my way to becoming a fan of this kind of realistic animation, or at least of the computer science behind it. Unfortunately, I am somewhat less a fan of Shrek 2.

Shrek 2 doesn't miss a beat as it opens not long after the end of the first movie. You'll recall that Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) marry in the first film's closing scenes; Shrek 2 opens with the happy duo on their honeymoon. But while the newlyweds are snapping honeymoon pictures and enjoying a stay in a picturesque gingerbread cottage, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) arrives to save Princess Fiona from her parentally-imposed dark tower exile. Upon learning he's too late to kiss the princess and win her for himself, he runs back to mama (Fairy Godmother, voiced by Jennifer Saunders) to complain about the unfairness of it all.

Meanwhile, Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of The Land of Far Far Away (King Harold is given life by John Cleese, and Queen Lillian has the wonderful voice of Julie Andrews), know that their daughter has married but don't know to whom. So they invite the couple to a wedding celebration in their honor so that they can give the marriage their blessing. Shrek doesn't want to go, but Fiona insists and so it's not long before the couple are on the road. Accompanied by the annoying Donkey (Eddie Murphy), the two head for Far Far Away. But upon their arrival, King Harold is almost as upset by his daughter's new husband as is Fairy Godmother. And together, the two plot to make things "right." The King, in fact, is so determined to get rid of Shrek that he hires an ogre assassin (Puss-in-Boots, who offers actor Antonio Banderas the chance to really camp it up). But there are other secrets as well as more magical powers that come to bear, and who knows how things will turn out in the end? All Shrek himself will say is that it's time to stop living in a fairy tale...

Shrek 2 boasts some of the latest and greatest computer animation capabilities, not least of which involves the background landscapes seen in the film. The forest is incredibly detailed and lifelike; the rocks and fields could very well be real. And the focal point animation is also excellent, particularly where hair and fabric is concerned. But while the storyline for Shrek 2 is all right, the script simply is not as funny as that for Shrek. There are, of course, some laugh-out-loud moments (not nearly so many as in the first movie), but in the main the movie just goes along until it's finally over (I say "finally" despite the fact the film is a short 93 minutes long). Not even a number of tongue-in-cheek background elements can help what can best be described - with the exception of a disappointingly few scenes - as a mediocre script.

Mike Myers is again very good as Shrek, though Cameraon Diaz was a much better Fiona in the first movie. Rupert Everett is a wonderfully smarmy Prince Charming; his manipulative mother is played to the hilt by Jennifer Saunders. John Cleese's many talents are largely wasted on King Harold (though he does have a moment or two) - which is not Cleese's fault since he can only say what's been written for him. Julie Andrews gives Queen Lillian just the dollop of class she needs, and she does so very, very well. Eddie Murphy's Donkey is as annoying as in the first movie, only this time he's nowhere near as funny about it (again, not the actor's fault). The real saving grace in Shrek 2 is the introduction of Puss-in-Boots. Antonio Banderas is obviously a cat owner (as it turns out, I learned quite recently that he does have two cats and that he observed them prior to executing his part) and is also clearly unafraid to make fun of himself, his Zorro character, and cats in general. Puss is hysterical whether he's the cold-hearted assassin or the sweet little pussy cat Shrek initially thinks he is. Of the laugh-out-loud moments in Shrek 2, all but two belonged to Puss.

Shrek 2 offers some diversion, but when a merely adequate movie is combined with its pre-release hype and its market saturation in advertising everything from fast food to computer technology, it will almost certainly come as a disappointment to anyone old enough to want more from a movie than a big green guy cavorting on screen. The only ones for whom I can recommend Shrek 2 with no reservation whatsoever are those who, like me, thoroughly enjoy seeing what the latest in technology can offer in the computer animation arena. The littlest ones won't care about the fine points of the film, but the rest of us won't be able to avoid some regret that Shrek 2 simply doesn't live up to its considerable promise.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Shrek 2 is rated PG for "some crude humor" and "some suggestive content." Frankly, most of the crude humor (largely consisting of passing gas) is just about right for the average four year-old. And I'm not quite sure what anyone means by "suggestive content" because I honestly saw nothing that even the most prim and proper could find objectionable. In fact, there's an overwhelming lesson inherent in the movie (so overwhelming that it will likely be ignored by those older than about, say, 8) which parents of small children will doubtless appreciate. I personally consider Shrek 2 to be suitable for all ages, but I'm willing to bet that your five year-old will like the movie better than you will, and that your 13 year-old may not admit to liking it much at all...