Shrek 2 (2004) - Most Excellent Fun, and Meet Puss In Boots!

Shrek 2: Watch Out, Here Comes Puss In Boots!

"Shrek 2" (2004).

The second film in a franchise sometimes is the best. The creators, having managed to create a successful start, now have learned what works and feel free to throw in all the edgy stuff they were afraid to put in the first film. "Shrek 2" is an example, and it comes from a golden age in animation. No, not that Golden Age, another one. Let's go back in time, folks, to that golden age when Mike Meyers was still putting out funny stuff and his various franchises hadn't yet run their courses. Oh, happy days! But, alas, they are long gone now.

I want to eat that gingerbread house right up!

I try not to be a film snob. Sometimes, it is time just to go and have a little coarse fun. Well, here's your ticket, folks. This is it, the big Meghulla, the taco that ate Mexico, the Great to your Britain.

As of this writing, "Shrek 2" is the highest-grossing animated film of all time (note - later eclipsed by "Frozen"). Out of all the Disney, Pixar, and sundry other films churned out over the past century, this DreamWorks film is it.

A lot of the film's success is due to this guy right here.

The plot is a fairly straightforward animated take-off on "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," with Shrek going to meet his wife Fiona's parents. There are complications with a dastardly Prince Charming (Rupert Everett).

Eddy Murphy hams it up big-time.

"Shrek 2" (2004), directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon, is a great film to kill some time and get a few laughs. Nothing earth-shattering, but definitely entertaining.

Such a nice castle in the distance, I want it!

This film and "Shrek" in general are well known, so I will be brief. I don't usually like kids' films and when I saw this I had not seen the original Shrek. However, even not knowing the characters or their background, I really liked this film. So, if you haven't seen any other 'Shrek' films, you may still enjoy this one.

Shrek sure looks worried when meeting the parents!

Antonio Banderas as Puss In Boots absolutely steals every scene (sure enough, they did make a film focusing solely on that character in 2011, the aptly titled "Puss In Boots"). John Cleese does outstanding work as the King and several others such as Jennifer Saunders as the Fairy Godmother put in stellar work.

'Things you never noticed as a child.' 'Shrek 2' is loaded with sly, subversive humor.

Mike Myers as Shrek was most excellent, and I'm not usually a huge fan of his broad style of humor. The Pinocchio (Cody Cameron) scene was truly funny, and almost all the other scenes held up fine, especially the set-piece ending with Puss coughing up a hairball.

This is the classic Puss in Boots look.

The only thing that grated a bit was Eddie Murph. He is a bit more annoying than he should have been as the donkey. He's very funny, it just gets to be a bit much at times. Julie Andrews as the Queen was kind of wasted, but she always does a fine job. Full of catchy disco tunes from around 1980 and with outstanding graphics, this is "Shrek 2" is a film that parents should feel terrific about allowing their kids to see. The Shrek films weren't as good after this, but everything was still fresh and funny in this sequel.

2020