Shrek 2

John Benton  |  Reviews
Date posted:  1 Sep 2004
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It's cool to be ugly?

SHREK 2 Cert. U Dreamworks

When the original Shrek animation came out three years ago it broke new ground. Not only was the animation terrific, the story turned the normal fairytale on its head. Here the ogre Shrek (who was not too bad a guy) got the girl Princess Fiona (who turned out to be somewhat ogre-ish herself).

Shrek 2 continues the tale, with the newly-married Shrek being introduced for the first time to his in-laws ('King' John Cleese and 'Queen' Julie Andrews). Shocked and disappointed by their daughter's choice of husband, they promptly devise plans to get her out of this most unsuitable entanglement, and into the arms of Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) the son of the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders). The plot goes through many twists and turns and introduces a new character in the form of Puss-in-Boots. But the underlying idea of the story is that there cannot possibly be a happy ending for ogres.

References and comments

The film leans rather too heavily for its laughs on cinematic references to other movies: The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Mission Impossible, and Spiderman (watch out for the kissing upside down) among others. There is wry and derisive comment on both the cosmetics industry and the Hollywood lifestyle (signified by the Far Far Away Land). I suppose I did want to embrace the film in that there is a happy end for the ogre - and that is very like the gospel of grace for sinners.

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