Sequels are risky to make, especially when the original film grossed over $200 million in the United States according to the-numbers.com.
The DreamWorks Pictures studio beat the odds with "Shrek 2," making a crowd-pleasing sequel that may be better than the original film. That assumption at least is based on the $108 million box office gross after the sequel's first weekend in theaters. The first "Shrek" grossed about $65 million less in its first weekend, or a little over $42 million in total.
The original star cast remains with Mike Myers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona and Eddie Murphy as the loquacious Donkey. However, the new supporting cast breathes new life into the sequel. With the troubles of Lord Farquaad behind them, newlyweds Shrek and Fiona enjoy a short honeymoon. Then Fiona's parents, King and Queen of the Kingdom of Far Far Away (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) send an invitation to the couple to visit the kingdom. Donkey, of course, refuses to be left behind and joins Shrek and Fiona on their journey.
The King is not pleased to see that Fiona has married Shrek the ogre and become an ogre herself. He makes a deal with the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) and her son Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) to break up the newlyweds. In fact, the King seeks someone to get rid of Shrek: Puss in Boots.
Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) stands out as the most entertaining new supporting character with hilarious one-liners that challenge Donkey's favorite sidekick status. But as Donkey points out, "I'm sorry, the position of annoying talking animal has already been taken." A cat dressed in a hat, cape and black boots, Puss in Boots creates his own identity within the story as he struggles with his hired assassin duties and natural cat tendencies. His actions also evoke images from Banderas' previous work in "The Mask of Zorro." In a scene where Puss in Boots first meets Shrek, he takes the opportunity to use his sword to slash the letter 'P' into a nearby tree.
"Shrek 2" makes several references to other movies and pop culture. Pinocchio gets to descend suspended from strings from the ceiling similar to Tom Cruise's character in "Mission Impossible" when he has to rescue Shrek and Donkey from a dungeon. Also watch for the references to "Cops," Hollywood red carpet events with Joan Rivers and Cameron Diaz's real-life boyfriend Justin Timberlake.
Shrek, Fiona and Donkey's arrival to the Kingdom of Far Far Away features familiar stores in the background with slight changes to the names as the three characters ride down the street in their onion carriage. Apparently, everyone needs a Starbucks even if they belong to the animated world. The Dreamworks team can not resist taking a few seconds to creatively comment on Starbucks' huge popularity, featuring the coffee shop in one of the scenes.
Aside from the hilarious references, "Shrek 2" manages to have an exciting plot that is easy to follow. The message in the sequel is essentially the same as the original Shrek film, but with a few added twists.
Before, Shrek struggled to be content with being an ogre and falling in love with a beautiful princess. Now, Shrek has to deal with the King's disapproval of his marriage to Fiona because he is an ogre.
Shrek decides that he needs to make some changes in order to keep Fiona. The changes Shrek makes lead to unforeseen problems and adventures including some very interesting physical transformations.
The PG-rated film delivers jokes and music both children and adults will enjoy. However, more jokes directed toward adults appear in the sequel.
Again, the tale of Shrek and his friends is accompanied by an awesome soundtrack. "Accidentally In Love" by the Counting Crows emerged as the official song of "Shrek" but equally notable is Donkey and Puss In Boots' rendition of "Livin' La Vida Loca." Nowhere else is there a musical duet with Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas.
The sequel is so entertaining that the hour and 45 minutes seem to pass by almost too quickly. However, viewers that want a bit more of Shrek should remain in the theater. Dreamworks delivers a special surprise for these viewers halfway through the credits if they stay seated for a few extra minutes.
With so many surprises, "Shrek 2" was definitely worth the three-year wait and the eight dollars to see it.
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