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by Willie Waffle


Shrek 2

Shrek was a great movie that still vividly lives in our hearts, minds, and on DVD (calling to us if Shrek 2 is a bomb). It was the film that made DreamWorks a major player in the animated film game, won the first Animated Feature Oscar, set fairy tales on their ears, and found a way to satisfy kids, parents, and those who think they are cooler than cool. Can Shrek 2 top the first one? You bet it can, thanks to the power of Banderas and Puss-In-Boots.

Mike Myers is back as the voice of Shrek - the not-so-jolly green Ogre enjoying a wonderful honeymoon with his new wife, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), after saving her in the original Shrek and having a fairy tale wedding. However, the happily-ever-after part of that fairy tale is being challenged.

Princess Fiona has been asked to come home by her mother and father, the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) of the land Far Far Away, so they can meet their new son-in-law. Mom and Dad think Fiona has married Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), but instead, they are shocked to learn she has married someone better described as Prince Surly.

Will Mom and Dad be able to accept Fiona's choice to marry an ogre and continue to live like one, even though she is a beautiful princess? Will Fiona want to stay with Shrek after his horrible behavior on the trip?

Shrek 2 is one of the few movies that made me laugh until I cry. It is an amazing film, and one of the funniest I have ever seen. Shrek 2 parodies Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, From Here to Eternity, Little Red Riding Hood and more all in the first three minutes! While the parodies and hilarious takes on our favorite movies and fairy tales are very funny, Shrek 2 succeeds because of great characters and a hilarious plot. It's as if writers J. David Stem, Joe Stillman and David Weiss, along with directors Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, want to give us what we expect up front, then deliver what we didn't realize we need in the rest of the movie.

With a sequel, new characters are extremely important. We know what to expect from Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey (Eddie Murphy). However, the writing team makes Shrek 2 an amazing movie by adding Prince Charming, The Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) and, the character who steals the movie, Puss-In-Boots (Antonio Banderas).

Banderas is awesome as Puss-In-Boots, a feline assassin that is part cat, a dash of Indiana Jones and whole lotta Zorro (I guess he would have been a whole lotta Hannibal Lecter if Anthony Hopkins played the role, that would have been creepy, eeew). Banderas knows exactly how to make the most out of his delicious dialogue by emphasizing the campy aspects, and the animation team obviously put the most work into this character to give him the best facial expressions and a dramatic flair that is rivaled by no animated character I can remember (he makes Jar Jar Binks look like a statue). As the movie goes on, Puss-In-Boots, with amazing dialogue and characterization, becomes a memorable part of the Shrek team and a character you will want to see again and again. Just thinking about his scenes as I write this review makes me break into laughter. Also, the writers have come up with a compelling story that doesn't feel like the last movie all over again.

Stem, Stillman and Weiss have created a great conflict for Shrek and the gang. Fiona's Dad is trying to get rid of Shrek, so our hero has to spend the movie getting back to Far Far Away, while facing peril and new challenges along the way, as well as his own fragile ego and self-image. It's an exceptional plot that never loses sight of Shrek's core theme of staying true to yourself and taking pride in yourself, no matter how you look (it also reinforces the important role friends play in our lives). Adamson, Asbury and Vernon amazingly keep this whole complex mixture of story, fairy tale gone askew, parodies and new characters together in a compelling way that always feels in control, builds to a great climax, touches our heart when it needs to, and constantly makes us laugh. They even lay off the gross out humor, most of the time.

Shrek 2 is one of the great movies of all time.

5 Waffles (Out Of 4) because it is that good

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