5. Shrek 2
A few years before I was thoroughly disappointed and let down by Shrek the Third came a movie that shined a light on the biggest mistake the third installment to the Shrek franchise could have made. That mistake was coming out after a movie like Shrek 2, which stands as the prime example of how to do a sequel correctly. It may or may not be the best sequel to a franchise but to this day when I think of movie sequels and what they need to do in order to set the correct standard, even before Toy Story 2, I think of this film.
I was obsessed with this film when I was younger to the point where rewatching it now, even after years of being away from it, I was reciting lines from it verbatim. The idea of making a sequel that takes the premise of the first one and runs with it to push more of what it has to say feels almost quaint. It seems so simple and yet films aren’t always able to manage it.
Shrek (Mike Myers) has now married Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and they’re living their happily ever after but Shrek marrying her in and of itself has caused a whole host of problems for the people and the society outside their lovely swamp home. Those people had a plan for Fiona and don’t like that she’s veered off it. The deconstruction of the Fairy Tale tropes continues in this one where it asks, “Now that the unexpected has happened, what are the consequences of it?”.
The Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) is a woman that exists within this fairy tale society to bring happy endings to those who she feels are owed it. She doesn’t appear before ogres to help them escape the hatred and anger being spewed at them daily for just existing as they are. No, she appears before princesses and offers them more and more stuff then they could ever want in the vain hopes that they’ll be happy, technically. It’s almost barbaric to suggest that she wouldn’t need any of the talking furniture or sexy man Kyle but Fiona really doesn’t.
She’s married to Shrek and she’s happy being with him. The opening of the film makes that clear but Shrek is having doubts about how happy she could possibly be. They didn’t come to fruition while they were on their honeymoon but as soon as “Sergeant Pompous and the Fancy Pants Club Band” show up on their doorstep bearing regal eccentrics that exude prim and proper attitudes being foisted upon their comfortably messy life, the fear returns.
He’s right to be afraid by it, of course. Ogres are monsters in these fairy tales. They aren’t allowed happy endings because happy endings for ogres means a bad ending for everyone else, apparently. Somehow. The only reason offered, honestly, is just the fact that he IS an ogre which is apparently enough. I mean, how could it not be enough when you’ve got the handsome, lock-flowing man of noble unearned pride, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) enduring blistering winds and scorching deserts to reach the tallest room of the tallest tower to kiss and marry a woman he’s never met before?
Isn’t it just right and correct that he gets to marry her and become king? It’s owed to him because he’s a prince and he’s pretty. Shrek isn’t.
The film goes all in on deconstructing that nonsense and it never feels like a punch down at the audience or even, necessarily, a hatred of the fairy tale aspects of it. It embraces so much of it that it honestly feels like it comes from a place of love too.
Because the world is so good at embracing itself you can have random characters showing up to just be there without much justification. This is the film Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) makes his glorious debut and despite being a beloved character, his plot relevance is significantly minimal. However, saying that, it doesn’t really matter. When you get right down to it, what he has to contribute is about on par with what Donkey (Eddie Murphy) does and it’s all entertaining and fun.
Of course, I say ABOUT on par because Donkey does get a slightly elevated arc in the film. The feelings of inadequacy he gets when Puss shows up are well noticed and when he becomes a noble steed he becomes so happy about his transformation that it was almost hard witnessing him be disappointed by losing it. The idea that you need to change yourself for society rather than embracing who you are and being happy is rather sickening and it’s sadly still an issue we have to deal with today.
People should be allowed to change if that’s what they want to do but no one should be forced to change less they face ostracisation from the masses if being who you are isn’t harming anyone. It’s just not fair and this film dives deep into that matter… while being insanely funny on top of that.
Honestly, it’s probably a lot funnier now then it was to me as a kid. Even the things within it that are slightly outdated are vague enough and fresh enough in my memory from back then that they still work for me. Again, Donkey isn’t a character that should work as well as he does but the intention with him IS to be annoying and because they play that up it makes the scenes where he drives Shrek crazy entertaining as hell. However, it also makes the wholesome moments between them stand out more and sells you on the genuine friendship they have.
Everyone in this film is in top form and they exist to play their parts to get across this tale of going against the grain well. Shrek, Donkey, Puss, Fiona, King Harold (John Cleese), Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), and our two villains are all masterful. It’s an A+ sequel and the gold standard for how to do one for a franchise like this as far as I’m concerned.
Other films and shows can play “I Need a Hero” as much as they want but they’re never going to top the sequence the Fairy Godmother ushers in during the finale of the film. They probably should stop trying.
They REALLY should stop trying honestly. Too many movies and shows are using that song nowadays and it's gotten rather pathetic. You will never be Shrek 2's action climax.
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3 weeks, 3 days ago
25 Apr 2025 00:38 CEST
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