“˜Shrek 2′ still original, monstrously funny for all
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 19, 2004 9:00 p.m.
“Shrek 2″
Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon
DreamWorks
When “Shrek” came out in the summer of 2001, it left
audiences either asking, “Can they really say that in a kids
movie?” or exclaiming, “I can’t believe they just
said that in a kids movie!” With “Shrek 2″ coming
out three years later, audiences certainly won’t be
questioning the sequel’s capability of being as original and
funny as its predecessor. “Shrek 2″ picks up where the
first one left off, with the large yet gentle (and witty) ogre
Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) coming back from his honeymoon with
new bride Fiona (Cameron Diaz). Shrek learns that Fiona’s
parents, king and queen of the distant kingdom Far Far Away, wish
to formally recognize the marriage. This leaves Shrek unsure of how
to get his new in-laws to accept Fiona’s rather unique choice
for a husband. But things get even more complicated. Fiona’s
father had apparently made a deal with The Fairy Godmother (who
isn’t isn’t your ordinary fairy godmother) that Fiona
would wed her son, the Herbal-Essence-flowing-hair Prince Charming.
The Fairy Godmother’s efforts to destroy the recent marriage
are counteracted with help from Shrek’s “noble
steed,” Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and a new companion: a
Zorro-wannabe Spanish cat named Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas).
From its opening sequence, in which the film parodies recent
cinematic hits such as “The Lord of the Rings” and
“Spider-Man,” to its portrayal of the kingdom of Far
Far Away as nothing short of Beverly Hills ““ with Cinderella
and Snow White’s gated houses next to Farbucks (think coffee)
at every corner ““ “Shrek 2″ once again proves
that satire, whether live-action or animated, remains a successful
comedy technique. And just like the first one, “Shrek
2″ isn’t mommy and daddy’s
family-fun-at-a-Saturday-matinee kids’ movie. “Shrek
2″ manages to slip in jokes about everything from narcotics
(Puss-in-Boots has an illegal stash of “catnip”) to
transgender cracks (The ugly stepsister is voiced by Larry King)
that are likely to fly over kids’ heads, but give adults
something to laugh about. But “Shrek 2″ is not all
about adult humor. At its essence is still the message of
acceptance of both the self and others, without Disney’s
cheesy musical numbers. And the visual animation, done brilliantly
once again by Dreamworks Animation, dazzles even the most
lackluster imagination. The only minor fault of “Shrek
2″ is that sometimes it can’t decide whether it wants
to be a parody or stand on its own, but this is easily forgiven.
“Shrek 2″ has managed to achieve the rarely-attained
mark of success for a sequel ““ it lives up to the freshness
and originality of its predecessor. It reacquaints audiences with
characters that they have grown to love, and introduces new
characters that come from the same spirit and originality as those
from the original. “Shrek 2″ is a great time for both
kids and adults, and it will, of course, leave you asking yourself
the all-important question shared by the film’s characters:
Why is the Big Bad Wolf wearing women’s clothes?
-Andy Etzkorn
