If you liked the first “Shrek,” chances are you’ll enjoy this DVD release of “Shrek 2” even more, especially the bountiful number of special features. I thought it was great — especially the “American Idol” spoof. “Shrek 2” is now available for purchase and rental.
This release has more humor, more jabs at the movie and television industry and more jabs at today’s life. Personally, I liked the music of the first one better, but that’s probably because those tunes were favorites when I was younger. On the other hand I appreciate the wit of this one. I thought “Shrek 2,” on the whole, was much funnier than “Shrek.”
The DVD edition adds new material that I really enjoyed.
For those who haven’t a clue, “Shrek 2” joins Shrek, the ogre, immediately after he and Fiona return from their honeymoon and the couple is invited to meet the bride’s parents for the first time (as a couple). Fiona’s parents have no idea she married an ogre.
The Kingdom of Far Far Away, where Fiona’s family lives, has a distinctly Beverly Hills/Hollywood look. A towering Far Far Away sign dominates the hill — similar to the Hollywood sign — overlooking palm tree-lined streets where subjects shop at Saxxon Fifth Avenue, Versarchery, Pewtery Barn and Armani Armoury, Old Knavery, grab coffees at Farbucks, and Tower of London Records reproduce and sell the sounds.
The movie spoofs just about every fairly tale from childhood with cameos by Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs and Sleeping Beauty. And Joan Rivers, playing Joan Rivers doing the color commentary about the arrivals at the palacem is on the scene. Larry King doing a drag-queen at the Ugly Stepsister’s Poison Apple Inn broke me up.
“Shrek 2” displays a world of sight gags, puns, anachronisms and satire within the confines of a really off-center fairy tale filled with richly detailed characters and a whole lot of fun.
This soundtrack is filled with music entirely different than “Shrek.” “Shrek 2” music is performed Counting Crows, David Bowie and uses the themes to “Rawhide” when the Ogre family and donkey leave for Far Far Away and “Mission: Impossible” when Pinocchio, the big bad wolf, the three pigs and the three blind mice attempt to rescue Shrek and Donkey from a dungeon.
Newlyweds Shrek (MIKE MYERS) and Princess Fiona (CAMERON DIAZ) come home from their honeymoon and are greeted by Donkey (EDDIE MURPHY) who has been anxiously awaiting their return in DreamWorks Pictures’ computer-animated comedy SHREK 2.
There are more movie and TV spoofs this time around. The ones I caught in the initial viewing included “Lord of the Rings,” “Indiana Jones” films, “Alien,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Sanford and Son,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Frankenstein,” “Ghostbusters,” “Godzilla,” “King Kong,” “From Here To Eternity,” the reality television series “Cops” and “Flashdance.”
“Shrek 2” relies more on gags and slapstick comedy than its precursor. “Shrek 2” reunites one of the best voice casts ever for an animated film to create a shrewd entertainment that again successfully aims its jokes at various age groups.
I think it will definitely be a big summer hit, although I can’t recommend it to parents with small children due to some of the adult humor (the kind that doesn’t go over their heads).
The animation and graphic quality was great. “Shrek 2” is a story for our times and for our lives, with laughter and lessons in equal measure.
If you’re not one of the people who normally stay through the credits, do yourself a favor and stay at least through the first minute for a final scene. After that, everything else is just credits, but the final scene is funny and will probably play a part in “Shrek 3.”
I think I would be safe in guessing that “Shrek 2” will be one of the mega-family DVD hits for 2004.
Voice Cast: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Saunders, Rupert Everett, Larry King, Conrad Vernon
Shrek 2
Rating (**** 1/2 out of *****)
Queen Lillian (JULIE ANDREWS) and King Harold (JOHN CLEESE) learn that they may rule the kingdom, but they don’t rule their daughter’s heart in DreamWorks Pictures’ computer-animated comedy SHREK 2.
Synopsis (Courtesy of Dreamorks Pictures) The natural order of fairy tales is interrupted in the sequel to the Academy Award®-winning blockbuster “Shrek.”
“Shrek 2” sends Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona on a whirlwind of new adventures with more fairy-tale favorites to lampoon along the way.
After battling a fire-breathing dragon and the evil Lord Farquaad to win the hand of Princess Fiona, Shrek now faces his greatest challenge: the in-laws. Shrek and Princess Fiona return from their honeymoon to find an invitation to visit Fiona’s parents, the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Far, Far Away.
With Donkey along for the ride, the newlyweds set off.
All of the citizens of Far, Far Away turn out to greet their returning Princess, and her parents happily anticipate the homecoming of their daughter and her new Prince.
But no one could have prepared them for the sight of their new son-in-law, not to mention how much their little girl had... well... changed.
On their honeymoon, Shrek (MIKE MYERS) and Princess Fiona (CAMERON DIAZ) share a romantic picnic on the beach in DreamWorks Pictures’ computer-animated comedy SHREK 2.
Little did Shrek and Fiona know that their marriage had foiled all of her father’s plans for her future... and his own. Now the King must enlist the help of a powerful Fairy Godmother, the handsome Prince Charming and that famed ogre killer Puss In Boots to put right his version of “happily ever after.”
“Shrek 2” brings back the voices of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. Joining the all-star voice cast are: Academy Award® winner Julie Andrews and Oscar® nominee John Cleese as Fiona’s royal parents, Queen Lillian and King Harold; Antonio Banderas as Puss In Boots; Rupert Everett as Prince Charming; and Jennifer Saunders as the Fairy Godmother.
The computer-animated comedy was directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, with Aron Warner, David Lipman and John H. Williams producing, and Jeffrey Katzenberg executive producing. Adamson and Joe Stillwell and J. David Stem and David N. Weiss wrote the screenplay from a story by Adamson, based upon the book by William Steig.
PG for “some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content.”
Princess Fiona (CAMERON DIAZ) nervously introduces her new husband Shrek (MIKE MYERS) to her parents, King Harold (JOHN CLEESE) and Queen Lillian (JULIE ANDREWS), the rulers of Far Far Away, in DreamWorks Pictures’ computer-animated comedy SHREK 2.
DVD extras
• Available subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Commentary by the filmmakers
• All-new surprise ending
• Far Far Away Idol — show spoof
• Technical Goofs
• Meet Puss in Boots
• Meet the Cast of “Shrek 2”
• The Tech of “Shrek 2”
• Over 20 Games and Activities
• Shrek’s Music Room
