SHREK 2 (2004)
Shrek 2 follows directly in the footsteps of its inventive predecessor, and that's partly the problem. The freshness of the first film is lacking in this predictable rehash. In particular, the sarcastic tone of the film is dulled by our expectation of such dry humor. Even so, the film as a whole is good enough to entertain, as all summer blockbusters should. Although we know how the story will end even before we set foot in the theatre, the characters remain sufficiently charming and likeable so as to make our trip to the last page of the fairytale an agreeable one.
At bottom, Shrek's fairytale is no different than those with which we grew up. Although it bills itself as an alternative, darkly irreverent kind of fairytale, it never quite approaches the ingenuity and unexpected darkness of the Grimm's fairytales. The moral landscape of Shrek's world is a reflection of our idealistic tradition; not so with Grimm's tales. For something more akin to Grimm's in cinema, check out Mel Stuart's 1971 classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The moral twists and turns in that film remain both frightening and fresh to this day. I cannot imagine saying the same about Shrek 2 30 years from now.
I'd give Shrek 2 a B.
3 Comments:
Shrek 2 was great... not so sure about Shrek 3 though. They should have left it at 2.
Now, as far as comparing Shrek to Grimm's... well, the point is that Shrek is supposed to be funny. Not disturbing. I don't know Grimm's too well, but I must admit that “The Brothers Grimm” was a terribly horrible movie. I hated that movie completely.
As far as the old Chocolate Factory movie goes, I must admit that it certainly was more disturbing than the new one. Johnny Depp still does a pretty good job, though.
I admit I haven’t seen the whole Shrek movie. I was only up to Part 1 and only saw the trailer of Part 2. I must confess – I didn’t like it. The dialogue was just blah blah blah for me. The actions were nothing compared to my favorite The Simpsons. But of course I must give credit to the producers and everyone behind the scene. It was good overall. It’s just my personal preferences that probably affected my reaction towards it.
Shrek can be included in the list of or all-time favorites. Although the story plot is something that is really predictable, you still can’t help but laugh at the dry humor each character presents. It’s one of the feel-good movies.
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