Details

Movie Poster
Title
Shrek 2
Director
Andrew Adamson
Cast
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas
Length
93 min.
Released
2004

Review

Now that William Stieg is dead the grave rolling can commence. Maybe he and Ted Geisel can have a race.

The movie tries its very best to get you to hate it, saturated as it is with shitty covers of classic songs (some emo guy covering the Buzzcocks?) (In a childrens' movie?) (Is that smell the impending apocalypse?), but it's simultaneously trying just as hard to get your money to come back for a third. Some of the jokes are pretty good, though some of them aren't even really jokes (I think the Simpsons are to blame for this cultural satire/reference retardation).

It is notable how little the handsomized Shrek looks like Mike Myers. Also notable: the handsomized Eddie Murphy is white. Isn't that a bitch.

In its favor, the musical cameos (in the sleazy woodlands bar they frequent) are pretty cool. The first time they show up, Tom Waits is doing his piano crooner thing all over the movie. The second time I couldn't identify the voice, but upon inspecting the credits discovered that it was Nick Cave. But the connections to Wings of Desire don't stop there: both are commercially exhibited films. That's pretty much where it stops.

The three directors drop the Donkey/Dragon romance, which was significantly more interesting than the Shrek/Fiona romance, except for Dragon's single appearance during the closing credits. This is a shame. Also, many of the jokes are a little forced at the beginning. Donkey's Parcheesi line is a blatant attempt to recreate the first one's best joke (waffles).

Also appearing: John Cleese (George of the Jungle 2), Antonio Banderas (Original Sin), Julie Andrews (Shrek 2) and Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding).

Rating
3/8
Reviewer
Pat Jackson
Published