Shrek 2: Are We There Yet?

By Jonathan Berohn

In the beginning of the long awaited “Shrek” sequel “Shrek 2,” there is a very long scene at the outset where newlyweds Shrek (Mike Meyers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are traveling by garlic clove carriage with their trusty sidekick Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to the kingdom of Far Far Away to celebrate their recent nuptials with Fiona’s parents, who have no idea that Shrek is an ogre. Phew. If you think that sentence is long, you might want to bring some toys for the kids to amuse themselves with while Donkey keeps up a (seemingly endless) repetition of the old “are we there yet?” bit.

Starting out with a Yawn

Don’t get me wrong, overall Shrek 2 is a great film—especially for a sequel, but you almost get the feeling that Mike Meyers and company decide you deserve to pay some dues through the long, long trip to Far, Far Away before you get to enjoy the typical zany action and comedy we’ve expected after getting hooked on the original “Shrek.”

But Quickly Gathering Speed

Once our heroic threesome finally does make it to Far, Far Away, though, “Shrek 2” quickly rebounds and captivates the audience every bit as much as its predecessor. From the delightfully wicked fairy godmother to the scheming father of the bride (played perfectly by John Cleese of Monty Python fame), “Shrek 2” is full of plot twists, action, and laughs. Antonio Banderas also adds a loveable yet deadly Puss in Boots to the cast. Throughout, the visual quality of the film is also remarkable. 3D animation has certainly come a long way from the original textureless cartoons of the past. In “Shrek 2” the texture and depth of the work had me reminding myself over and over that this was, in fact, animation and not live action. Even if the plot of “Shrek 2” stunk—and after the intro travel scene it kept my 6 and 8 year-old in rapt attention—the movie would be worth seeing just for the visuals.

Hidden Gems

Myers and company also didn’t forget the adults in the audience. “Shrek 2” pays homage to almost every major film you can think of. My personal favorite was the Raiders of the Lost Ark hat scene. But the well-timed allusions added just the prefect amount of extra interest while not overburdening the movie with cuteness. There’s also a brief scene midway through the credits that you should stay and watch. Don’t take that as a clue to sit through all the credits, though—there nothing after the first extra scene but a long list. Sort of a perfect balance to the trip scene actually—but I think it’s OK to miss that one.