IRREVERENCE AND HEART ARE AGAIN THE STORY IN 'SHREK 2'.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic COMING OFF a month of grim-faced revenge flicks, the joyless joy·less adj. Cheerless; dismal. joy  less·ly adv.joy sensory overload
Sensory overload (sometimes abbreviated to SO) is a condition where one or more of the five senses are strained and it becomes difficult to focus on the task at hand. of ``Van Helsing,'' and the insipid melodrama of ``Troy,'' what moviegoers need now is Shrek, sweet Shrek. And thankfully, ``Shrek 2,'' the sequel to one of the great animated films in recent years, does not disappoint, delivering plenty of reasons to laugh and smile as well as a timely reminder that movies can indeed be fun. And we could all use a little escapist enjoyment right now because, let's face it, no matter how much you may have loved ``Kill Bill - Vol. 2'' and ``Mean Girls,'' they were both movies that produced their share of troubling emotions. But outside of hearing Larry King's voice coming out of a woman (albeit a woman with a five o'clock shadow A five o'clock shadow is beard growth visible late in the day on a man whose face was clean-shaven in the morning. The term comes from the traditional nine-to-five workday hours. ), there isn't much to get upset about while watching ``Shrek 2.'' Like the original, it's sharp, funny and has a twisted sensibility that manages to be just right for every age group. The movie basically picks up immediately after the end of the first movie, where ``happily ever after'' means introducing yourself to the in-laws. Beating ``Meet the Fockers'' to the punch by seven months, the movie trades on the tried-and-true conflict of mutually mistrustful families meeting and immediately deciding they don't like each other. In the case of parents of Princess Fiona (again voiced by Cameron Diaz), you can't blame them for feeling a little put-off when the answer to the question ``Guess who's coming to dinner?'' is: an ogre (Mike Myers Mike Myers may refer to:
John Marwood Cleese (IPA: /ˈkliːz/ ) of the kingdom of Far, Far Away did once banish Fiona when they learned that she herself turned into an ogre at night, so they're not without blame, either. It's just that they expected Prince Charming Prince Charming handsome suitor fulfills a maiden’s dreams. [Fr. Fairy Tale: Cinderella] See : Love, Victorious to rescue her - and they got a flatulent flatulent characterized by flatulence; distended with gas. green giant instead. Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and his mom, Fairy Godmother fairy godmother fulfills Cinderella’s wishes and helps her win the prince. [Fr. Fairy Tale: Cinderella] See : Fairy fairy godmother mythical being who guards children from danger and rewards them for good deeds. (Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born July 6, 1958[1] in Sleaford, Lincolnshire) is a BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning English comedienne, writer and actress. She first came into public prominence in the early 1980s when she became a member of The Comic Strip ), are even more upset than the queen and king since the prince was supposed to awake the sleeping princess and inherit the kingdom. That provides the film with its central conflict, with the wand-waving godmother (portrayed as something of a Martha Stewart <noinclude></noinclude> Martha Stewart (born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. maven) and her beautiful (and doesn't he know it?) son trying to remove Shrek from the picture and win Fiona's hand. The filmmakers (``Shrek 2'' boasts three directors and three writers but doesn't have the made-by-committee feel that usually marks such ventures) do OK with the familial conflicts, but the film is sharpest in the ways it skewers the film industry (sorry Charlie Kaufman), pop culture and, to a lesser extent (certainly less than its predecessor), fairy tales This is a list of fairy tales, the dates of their earliest known printed version, the author and, if known, the collection of tales in which it was published. It should be noted, however, that not all stories listed below would be categorized as fairy tales by a strict definition themselves. When Shrek and Fiona embrace in the surf on their honeymoon, it's something of a lightning-round of cinematic sendups, referencing ``From Here to Eternity,'' ``The Little Mermaid'' and ``Jaws'' faster than the time it will take you to read this sentence. And to answer naysayers, no, that does not mean the ``Shrek'' movies will seem dated in 10 years. It just means that, like the best social satire of ``The Simpsons,'' we'll be able to look back one day at our cultural conventions and laugh at ourselves. (At least, those of us who have a sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour will.) Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr rolled around in the sand more than half a century ago and we still get it. Besides, any movie that has the smarts to turn Tom Waits into Captain Hook and make him the piano player in the movie's dive bar doesn't have anything to apologize for. (Well, maybe all the gassiness, but then this is a Mike Myers project.) And ``Shrek 2'' boasts one of the great comic characters you'll find in any movie this year, the fierce feline Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas) whose expert swordsmanship isn't even the most lethal weapon in his arsenal. (I'm not going to spoil the joke, but cat lovers will immediately know what I'm talking about.) Puss-in-Boots and Shrek take an immediate liking to each other, much to the consternation of Donkey (Eddie Murphy), who grouses, ``The position of annoying talking animal has already been taken.'' In most other sequels, Donkey would be right, but the makers of ``Shrek 2'' aren't content to rest on their laurels. Be thankful for their generosity and inventiveness. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com SHREK - Three and one half stars (PG: some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content) Starring: Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Jennifer Saunders. Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon. Running time: 1 hr. 33 min. Playing: Wide release. In a nutshell: The sequel to one of the great animated films in recent years does not disappoint. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: One of the new characters in ``Shrek 2,'' Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas), competes with original sidekick Donkey (Eddie Murphy) for attention in the animated film. |
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