Susan Granger's review of "Shrek 2" (DreamWorks)
'Back to Once Upon a Time as the dazzling sequel begins where the
big,
green ogre left off.
When Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) return to
the
swamp from their blissful honeymoon, they discover two surprises. Donkey
(Eddie
Murphy) has moved back into their hovel and Fiona's parents, the King
(John
Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) of Far Far Away, want to meet their new
son-in-law and host a wedding celebration. "Trust me, it's a bad idea,"
Shrek
astutely warns, but soon they're off - with Donkey, whining: "Are we there
yet?"
Unable to hide their shock and disappointment, the King and Queen
offer a
less-than-warm welcome to the newlyweds. Terrified by threats of reprisal
from
Fiona's furious Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), who wanted Fiona to
marry
her son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), the King hires an assassin, the
notorious Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas), to eliminate the "ogre
problem." So
lovable Shrek has his hands full, trying not only to survive but to keep
Fiona's love, particularly when he's told, "Ogres don't live happily ever
after." Prepare for many cool surprises.
Writer/director Andrew Adamson and creative cohorts embellish the
fairy-tale parody with satirical homages to classic movies. Guillaume
Aretos'
production design and Harry Gregson-Williams' music are top-notch.
Lampooning
his Zorro-persona, Antonio Banderas is hilarious, as are Larry King and
Joan
Rivers in cameos. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Shrek 2" is a
raucously funny, deliciously irreverent 10. My only reservation is that I
may
have missed some sight gags, deft puns and sly innuendoes, so I've got to
see
it again. I predict this family-friendly comedy will outdraw, outperform
and
outlast all the competition this summer. The ogre rules!
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X-RT-RatingText: 10/10
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