In the late 80’s, the animated feature had finally been resurrected with Walt Disney’s breakthrough return to form The Little Mermaid. The success sparked a string of traditionally drawn hits that eventually tapered off in popularity by the end of the 90’s. However, a different format was hot on its tails. The computer-animated feature has now become a power to be reckoned with, and there seems to be no end in sight to the superior quality and sheer entertainment with each subsequent release.
The first installment in the Shrek franchise was a creative tour de force, balancing everyone’s knowledge of beloved children’s fairy tales with wit and relentless in-jokes. Its sequel, the endearing and delightful Shrek 2 is every ounce as good, as funny, and as heartwarming.
Mike Myers reprises his role as the lovable ogre who has just wed his beloved princess-turned-ogre Fiona (Cameron Diaz). When Shrek, Fiona and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) go to visit the new in-laws (King Harold and Queen Lillian from the kingdom of Far Far Away, played by Julie Andrews and John Cleese), more than a few cultural differences threaten to become serious obstacles. Add a meddling Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) and her son, the egotistical Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), and you have all the makings of a modern-day romantic comedy.
But Shrek 2 doesn’t go through any of the hackneyed motions you would expect. While it may cross the finish line on a happy note, the colourful journey to get there is an onslaught of satire and imagination the likes of which are quite astonishing. Each scene tops the next with bright writing courtesy of J. David Stern, Joe Stillman and David N. Weiss, and fully realized characters that are a delight to watch springing across the screen by the time its catchy closing number has us in its clutches (a spoof of Ricky Martin’s hit “Living La Vida Loca”).
These days more and more animated features are benefiting from casting A list actors to do the voiceover work, and it’s always uncanny how well-suited to the characters they are. Often, it’s impossible to separate the performer from the cartoon, and even more impossible to imagine anyone else providing the voices. Mike Myers lends his semi-Scottish tinge to Shrek, Cameron Diaz is cavity-inducingly sweet as Fiona, Eddie Murphy is infuriating as the persistent Donkey, and newcomer Antonio Banderas lampoons his Mask of Zorro personae as the hilarious Puss-in-Boots.
Of note is the movie’s soundtrack, which comes dangerously close to overkill (it has more songs than many musicals I can think of). However, in many cases the tunes are perfect fits, such as when we hear “Funkytown” when the characters first enter Far Far Away, when David Bowie’s “Changes” pertain to a key plot point, or when Tom Waits’s incomparable voice fills a small tavern in a darkly comical scene.
In a way, movies like Shrek 2 are risky, because they threaten to be more entertaining for the adults who will get the jokes than the kids they are primarily targeted at (how many children are going to get the Fabulous Baker Boys reference when the Fairy Godmother is singing on top of a piano, or a Joan Rivers-like character who hosts a red carpet ceremony?). Nevertheless, directors Andrew Adamson and Kelly Asbury more than capably give the younguns plenty to ogle (or is that ogre?) on the screen, which has helped it yield the biggest box office gross of 2004. I can think of few films that are more richly deserving of such a success.
