Shrek 2   

Shrek: Mike Myers

Fiona: Cameron Diaz

Donkey: Eddie Murphy

Puss In Boots: Antonio Banderas

Fairy Godmother: Jennifer Saunders

King: John Cleese

Queen: Julie Andrews

Directed by Andrew Adamson,

Kelly Asbury, & Conrad Vernon

Screenplay by J. David Stern,

Joe Stillman, and David N. Weiss

Characters by William Steig

The magic of Shrek lied in the way that it turned the fairy tale on its head.  There was a fresh originality that made it enjoyable on various levels.  In Shrek 2, however, they try to capture the same magic, instead of growing and trying for something new.  Therefore, while still providing some good laughs, the movie is a bit stale and doesn't work as well.

Shrek 2 picks up where the first one left off, with Shrek and Fiona on their honeymoon and returning home to be reunited with Donkey.  They soon receive an invitation to visit Fiona's parents, the King and Queen, in Far, Far Away.  The kingdom is excited to meet Fiona's new "prince," but is shocked to learn that they are both ogres.  

Where Shrek played with the notion of a princess meeting her "handsome" prince, Shrek 2 turns into a silly romantic comedy with the standard clash between the refined parents and Shrek's uncouth behavior.  It's a simple formula that causes the movie to lose some zip as it pushes through with the obvious plot developments.  The movie finally kicks into high gear in the last 30 minutes, but it falls short of completely overcoming the tediousness of the first two acts.  

Part of the problem here is that the fairy tale theme is replaced by an endless stream of movie parodies, and everything is a target from Lord of the Rings to Mission: Impossible to Flashdance.  They provide some occasional chuckles, but instead of supplementing the story, the movie gets sidetracked by these efforts to bring in the adult audience (although, the Flashdance homage is hilarious).  

The arch villain in this film is the Fairy Godmother who has turned her wish-fulfilling duties into a corporate empire.  She is distressed to learn of Fiona's new beau, and has ulterior motives to breaking them apart.  She's shrill and a bit megalomaniacal, but lacks the dimension and wit that made Lord Farquaad such an engaging foil. 

It may seem unfair to constantly compare it to the original, but such is the nature of the sequel.  Toy Story 2 worked so well because it added something new to the story with Woody's newfound knowledge of his past glory days, while maintaining the magic of the first one with Buzz's encounter with the other Buzz in the toy store who thought he was real.  Shrek 2 fails to do either of these things.  The charm that existed in Shrek is hard to find, and there is nothing new besides the occasional one-liner or parody.  

Shrek 2 is still marginally entertaining.  Antonio Banderas shines in his supporting role as Puss In Boots, and Eddie Murphy does great work again as Donkey.  But the two leads, Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, are flat as they take a back seat to the supporting cast and are forced to work solely within the constraints of the plot.  It prevents them from taking off with their two characters and expanding on what they did so well previously, and, it shows in this slipshod sequel.