661. Shrek 2 (2004)

Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy

Director: Andrew Adamson

Running Time: 93 mins

Shrek 2 is an American and is the sequel to Shrek. After Fiona and Shrek’s marriage, the two are invited to the Land of Far Far Away by Fiona’s parents, however the couple’s ogreness leads to complications and tensions as celebrations for the wedding get underway.

Well, it’s evident that this is significantly weaker, particularly story-wise, than the first film, however it really maintains the unique comedic genre that the original was so praised for, and it’s that that makes this a genuinely worthy sequel to a great first film.

Starting with the story, I have to say that it’s nowhere near as entertaining, nor interesting to the fantastic plot of the first film. At points, it gets a little bit too indulged in the romance between Fiona and Shrek, and during those parts, you lose a substantial amount of laughs, meaning this isn’t a laugh-a-second film like the previous one.

Meanwhile, in terms of the main gimmick of the film (which I won’t spoil), it’s not such a mick-take of a typical fairytale story. Obviously, it couldn’t be exactly the same as its predecessor, but some of the ideas and story lines just aren’t as funny, entertaining or interesting as the first film.

However, there are some additions to this film that really help it to nearly similar heights to the original. One of the best things about this is some of the new characters that it introduces to make it a bit more of a dramatic film.

Puss In Boots is a brilliantly hilarious and zany character, Prince Charming is exactly the opposite of what his name says on the tin, and best of all was the Fairy Godmother, who takes an unexpectedly giant role in this film, and, helped with a fantastic voicing by Jennifer Saunders, is both frightening and hilarious all the same.

Finally, the soundtrack stays brilliant in this film. In fact, I might even say that, while it’s not more notable, it’s actually better than the one in the first film. There are some great songs throughout, and then some massive pop numbers towards the end, which are, especially within the context of the film, hugely entertaining and exciting to watch.

Overall, this gets an 8.1, because, for what it lacks in terms of its story, it really makes up for with a brilliantly funny cast, great jokes, and another fantastic soundtrack.