Shrek 2 Review

The beefy ogre and his smartass well, ass are back. If Shrek was clever, funny and sentimental, its sequel trots the line well and with only a few traces of self-conscious buffoonery. The wisecracks, the PJs and the hee-haw moments are all here, plus some hilarious new characters. Introducing Antonio Banderas, the sexiest beast to ever cough up a fur ball.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are quite settled in their happy little cottage by the swamp. If an ogre couple could be happier, they'd need rehab: these two lovers run through fields of daisies, kiss fervently against the sunset and even shave together every morning. Aww.

Donkey, the donkey, is still around and woefully single. But he (Eddie Murphy) isn't despondent for very long, because adventure is round the corner. Actually, in a land Far, Far Away. Fiona's parents, the king (John Cleese) and queen (Julie Andrews) of Far, Far Away, invite their daughter and son-in-law for a royal homecoming. Bring out the red carpet and let the subjects rejoice, for the princess has returned with her Prince Charming.

But um, who are those green people?

After an ice-cold reception at the king's palace and a screaming match with His Highness, Shrek decides he's had enough of royalty. The feeling is mutual, and with sufficient goading from the evil godmother, the king puts a hit on his new son-in-law. And the cat for the job is Puss, In Boots (Banderas). Not only can he successfully put the 'pointy end into the other man', this feline also makes the most illegally cute sad-face in the world. And you thought puppy dogs were bad.

Well, the rest of the story is a high-speed, nutball adventure featuring magic potions, a gigantic gingerbread man and Pinocchio's great Mission Impossible rescue. Corny, corny, corny. While Fiona's in danger of being kissed by the fake, smarmy Prince Charming, her real hero battles nymphomanical milkmaids, devious godmothers and his own latent inferiority complex. Love triumphs, of course, and so do all the bad, bad puns.

Some people might tell you Shrek 2 suffers the curse of the sequel, but it's still funnier and has more heart than most movies with the same suffix. So be indulgent, be sentimental and be tickled.