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The Shrek Remains the Same
America’s million-dollar ogre returns for the green
by Clint Casey
The first sequel of the summer has arrived, and it exceeds expectations. By and large, sequels are about as significant as hearing a cover band—a prospect that may be enjoyable, but rarely reaches the quality and substance of the real thing. Shrek 2 offers more of the same: a large helping of crass jokes, a pinch of high-brow humor, and a dizzying amount of pop-culture references that rivals an entire season of The Simpsons in number.
The moral of the story is once again one of acceptance and tolerance, picking up immediately where its predecessor left off. Shrek 2 opens with a storybook re-cap of the original film and finds ogres Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) in the midst of their honeymoon. Upon returning to the swamp, the newlyweds discover Donkey (Eddie Murphy) holed up in their home, because his relationship with the Dragon—introduced in Shrek’s finale—went awry.
Between convincing Donkey to leave and settling into their new life together, Shrek and Fiona are summoned to the Land of Far Far Away by her parents, the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews). The royals have planned an extravagant homecoming and dinner for the couple to bless their estranged daughter’s recent marriage. However, upon Shrek and Fiona’s arrival with Donkey in tow, her parents are shocked by her condition. (Fiona left Far Far Away as a beautiful princess, but has since been transformed into a green ogre by an evil spell.)
During an elaborate feast, the King voices his disapproval of his daughter’s current state and relationship with Shrek. The condemnation raises questions about destiny and love for the newlyweds, but the King refuses to wait for the issue to resolve itself and retains the services of local mercenary Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to assassinate Shrek. The tables are turned in such a way that Puss in Boots is indebted to Shrek, who saves his life.
Meanwhile, Fiona is introduced to her Fairy Godmother (Absolutely Fabulous’ Jennifer Saunders) who underhandedly tries to convince her to leave Shrek behind in favor of Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). After her rendezvous with Fiona, the Fairy Godmother meets briefly with the King and reveals a curious relationship between the two.
Disheartened by the King’s assassination attempt and suspicious of the Fairy Godmother, Shrek infiltrates the Fairy Godmother’s magic factory, with Donkey and Puss in Boots, in search of a solution that might let Fiona and him live happily ever after. The motley crew of protagonists discovers a potion that promises to deliver just that, but it instead merely changes whomever or whatever ingests it into a more physically beautiful version of itself. The dilemma arises when Shrek and Fiona drink the concoction and must decide whether to become something that they aren’t to make others, and ultimately themselves, happy.
The plot is somehow even weaker than the first film, but the new supporting characters introduced are more delightful than its primary ones. Banderas’ Spanish-tinged Puss in Boots is a hysterical addition, chiming in just enough without getting tired (the movie hits its stride with his introduction). Saunders’ conniving, dastardly Fairy Godmother is a delightful villain to rival Disney’s Cruella DeVil or Maleficent: sharp and funny with an endearing bitchiness.
Supporting players in Shrek—the Gingerbread Man, Wolf, and Pinocchio—get a bit more screen time, rounding out Shrek 2 more than the first, and, thankfully, leaving fewer lines for Myers and Murphy; Myers’ bitter Scotsman was already tired from years on Saturday Night Live (remember “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!”?), before he took it to the big screen as the father, Stuart Mackenzie, in So I Married an Axe Murderer and again as Fat Bastard in The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember.
As crossword enthusiasts crave the validation the word game provides, Shrek 2’s flurry of pop-culture references delivers a warm feeling of satisfaction when caught. Allusions are decidedly more clever than in the first film, pulling from the far reaches of television, movies, shopping, sports, and society. The sly stew of references is certain to keep adults on their toes and children in the dark (i.e. Puss in Boots is arrested for possession of catnip on a Cops-style show called Knights, claiming, “It’s not mine,” and townspeople flee a Starbucks-esque coffee shop to avoid a monster only to run across the street to a neighboring coffee shop), and are generally unobtrusive, surprisingly assisting the pace of the movie.
The Computer Generated Image animation has progressed, but not significantly, most noticeable in subtleties like strands of hair, feathers on a bird, and skin texture. However, no technology can substitute for story. And no amount of cultural allusions makes for a good movie. Nevertheless, Shrek 2 isan entertaining movie—perhaps even moreso than Shrek. It is, after all, a film for children and a decent one at that.
May 27, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 22
© 2004 Metro Pulse
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