When I look back on the original SHREK, I don’t remember liking it all that much. I just double-checked that review, and it was certainly a positive one though, so I don’t know what to say.
One thing I can say is that despite myself, I enjoyed Shrek 2 a lot!

The sequel basically picks up where the first movie ends, and this time, our heroes (and the fair heroine, natch) find themselves invited to visit Princess Fiona’s parents, the King and Queen of Far, Far Away. A hesitant Shrek, a hopeful Fiona, and a oblivious Donkey make the long journey, only to find all sorts of trouble a brewing.

Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy are all back to perfectly add their voices to the ever improving computer generated characters, and everybody clicks just right! Joining the fray this time are the classic Julie Andrews as the Queen, John Cleese as the King, Rupert Everett as the vain Prince Charming, and the hilarious Jennifer Saunders, who is brilliant as the Fairy Godmother. Everybody does a great job, but a big surprise came with who stole the show. I knew Antonio Banderas was in the flick as the Puss in Boots, and I knew he was getting some kudos…but I didn’t believe it. I actually thought he might be a negative. But uh-uh, he stole the show. He was absolutely hilarious!

In the original, the obvious victim of the satire is the Disney empire. Shrek 2 however sets it’s sights on Hollywood and throws in all kinds of pop culture references. I found the whole thing to be very funny and entertaining, and the movie’s success is very well deserved. I hope they take their time with any other sequels though. Let’s not ruin a good thing…