SHREK 2

US, 2004, 94 minutes, Colour.
Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Jennifer Saunders, Antonio Banderas.
Directed by Al Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon.

A pleasure to say how enjoyable this sequel is. Shrek had the element of surprise as well as delight which made it such a success. Now we have the element of pleasant familiarity as well as delight.

The animation is as good as ever, the details of the characters, the backgrounds, the city of Far Far Away. The range of characters, the welcome return of the old as well as some exciting new, is large. The songs, however, are not particularly memorable and are usually subdued by the action.

As before, the fairytale element is the opposite of what we might expect: the romance of the ogre and the large, green princess, the ever-chattering donkey, a completely narcissistic Prince Charming and a scheming fairy godmother. That, of course, is part of the entertainment and charm.

The actors have made the characters their own and voice them perfectly. Mike Myers can be forgiven The Cat in the Hat for his Shrek voice. Eddie Murphy reminds us of how funny he can be. Cameron Diaz is charming (and tough) as Fiona. This time round, Julie Andrews and John Cleese are the king and queen. Jennifer Saunders tries some absolutely fabulous querulousness as the vampish and scheming Fairy Godmother while Rupert Everett is excellently self-absorbed. However, they are often upstaged by the brilliant creation of Puss in Boots, both visually as a latter-day Zorro and as playfully voiced by Antonio Banderas.

It was a pleasure and a surprise to hear a theatre full of critics actually enjoying themselves!

1. Enjoyment for adults and children? The popularity of the original film?

2. The impact of the animation, the figures, movement, human characteristics, the landscapes, the castles, Far Far Away? The characters and action? The range of songs?

3. The voices and their skills, humour, jokes and parody, ogres, beauty? Prince Charming and his vanity? Godmother and her Hollywood ad? Hollywood and Far Far Away? The sign, Farbucks, Burger Prince? The parody of the Oscars with Joan Rivers commenting?

4. The use of the fairy tales - and their opposite? The wolf in bed, the pigs, Pinocchio and his lies, the Gingerbread Man, the monstrous gingerbread King Kong, the Three Blind Mice, Tinkerbell in a jar? The reference and parallels with Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella? The jokes about the fairy tales - and Pretty Woman? The movie parodies - The Fabulous Baker Boys and the piano scene, the parody of Mission Impossible?

5. The introduction and the recapitulation of the plot of part one? Ogres and being ogres? Fiona and the tower? Prince Charming and his wanting to rescue? Her being kissed and rescued by Shrek? The collage sequence of the honeymoon, Shrek and Fiona in love, on the beach - and her throwing the mermaid back in the water? Going home, wanting to be alone, Donkey and his continued presence? The skill of the three central voices?

6. The invitation to the palace, the pomposity with which it was delivered, Fiona and Shrek arguing, his packing? Donkey continually asking whether they were there yet, their wanting him to be silent, his making the mouth noise? The humour along the journey?

7. Far Far Away, the entrance like Paramount Studios? Harold and Lillian (and the voices of Julie Andrews and John Cleese)? The reception, being aghast at Fiona, their meal, the manners, Fiona burping? The failure of the meal, the clashing during the night, Shrek reading Fiona's diary and her dreams of meeting Prince Charming?

8. The Fairy Godmother, Jennifer Saunders' comic style? The ad in Hollywood Boulevard style? Being the mother of Prince Charming, her ambitions? Charm, rudeness? Her responding to tears, appearing in tears? Her pressuring Harold about his deal with her and Prince Charming's prospects for the throne?

9. Harold, his antipathy towards Shrek? Going to the club to hire the killer, the transsexual bartender, the voice of Larry King? Captain Hook playing the piano - with a hooked hand? Going to the assassin, seeing only the eyes - and the later irony of Puss in Boots? His pretending to be reconciled to Shrek, bonding with him, the plan for going hunting? Donkey and Shrek being lost, the confrontation with Puss in Boots, the wounding of Shrek, the clash, the fight, the change of heart in Puss in Boots?

10. The humour of Puss in Boots and Antonio Banderas' voice, his parody of Zorro? The wit, purring, the plaintive look in the cat's eyes and winning over everyone, his skill in fighting? Singing and dancing? Especially with Donkey?

11. The room of the potions, the staff, the laboratories, going into the room, Puss finding the Happy Ever After potion? The decision to take the potion, the transformation, Donkey into a stallion, Shrek as handsome? The Godmother and her advice about love and giving up on Fiona? Their being trapped, the fairytale characters watching on TV, their coming to the rescue - and Pinocchio and the Mission Impossible parody, telling lies about his underwear, the Gingerbread Man and the Blind Mice all helping to unlock Shrek and get them to the palace?

12. Prince Charming, Rupert Everett's sardonic voice? His performing at the beginning, his hair, narcissistic? Pretending to be Shrek, trying to charm Fiona, his awkward manner, his dancing with Fiona? The continuity of the plan, Harold and the pressure from the Fairy Godmother, Lilian and her not wanting anything to happen? The tea potion - and the irony of Harold finally not giving it? His own turning into a frog?

13. The group hurrying to the palace, to confront the Fairy Godmother, their going to the bakery, the giant Gingerbread Man like a mixture of King Kong and Godzilla - but melting at the palace walls?

14. The people arriving at the ball, the parody of the Oscars, Joan Rivers herself commenting? All the fairytale characters - and Tom Thumb and Thumbelina being swept up in the rubbish? Prince Charming and his preening?

15. The ball, the dancing? Shrek arriving, the revelation of the truth? The build-up to midnight, Shrek and Fiona's choice, their opting to be ogre and ugly? Midnight and the change? The defeat of the Fairy Godmother?

16. The happy ever after ending? That beauty was only skin-deep, that people's depth of personality was important? Donkey and the scene during the credits and discovering he and the dragon had a whole lot of children? Audiences looking forward to a third part?