retroCRUSH: Shrek 2 review

SHREK 2 IS DAMN FUNNY!

Ah hell, I'll just cut to the chase and tell you Shrek 2 is a hilarious sequel that is as good as the first film and much funnier. I'm not talking cute "heh" funny like some of Disney's latest efforts, I'm talking Jack Chick demon laughing "HAW HAW HAW!" funny that had me yukking it up like a jackass throughout the entire film. Forget that it's a great cartoon, Shrek 2 is one of the most hilarious movies I've had the pleasure of seeing in quite some time.

All the great writing, brilliant animation, and superior voice talent from the first film is back with a vengeance. The plot, which involves a meddling Fairy Godmother who has special motivations to break up the relationship between Shrek and Princess Fiona, works well, but it's the tour de force of non-stop jokes and pop culture references that make this a thrill to watch.

When Donkey (voiced with perfection by Eddie Murphy), gives tribute to the old Mr. Microphone commercials by shouting, "Hey good looking, I'll be talking to you, later!" as they drive by some pretty girls, I couldn't believe it. It's funny little touches like this throughout the film that really make it special. A sign in a bar that says "Nobody Under XXI Served" is one of those brilliant touches that brings to mind the subtle background jokes in the old Mad Magazine parodies of yesteryear.

Though all the elements that made the first one so great are here, it's the addition of Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots that is the film's high point. When he attempts to ambush Shrek and Donkey in the forest, he gives a woeful big eyed look (pictured at the top of this review) that makes your heart melt, then springs in to action, ready to carve the duo up, only to be sidelined with the feline equivalent of Kryptonite...a hairball. He soon joins the good guys, providing many hilarious scenes where he competes for "Shrek's Favorite" status with Donkey.

My 4 and 7 year old were laughing throughout right along with me, but for different reasons. For example, a sendup of FOX's "COPS" show called "KNIGHTS" has a great bit where the trio of adventurers are arrested on live TV which is full of great slapstick moments, but the adult jokes in the piece, like a Knight using a pepper grinder in Shrek's eyes while another pulls a bag of catnip from Puss who exclaims, "It's not mine!" let the older folks laugh without any offensiveness.

And the writers manage to pull of some unexpected surprise twists in the story that do not disappoint.

It really seems like everyone had a blast making this film. Certainly everyone I saw it with had a blast watching it, as it got a near standing ovation from the audience.

Shrek 2 is a hilarious movie that will not disappoint.

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THE 50 COOLEST SONG PARTS

Song parts? Sure! From the openings strains of Heart's "Barracuda" to the end of The Doors' "The End", sometimes there are pieces of songs that are cooler than the song itself. After sifting through hundreds of reader suggestions, and consulting the crack music staff here at retroCRUSH, we've come up with The 50 Coolest Song Parts of all time. We're going to begin counting them down with a new 5 every day starting now. Plus, as an added bonus, you can listen to the song clips in most of these features and even buy the CD at Amazon if you so desire. So without further adieu...