Shrek 2

Shrek 2 is very, very funny. Funnier, perhaps, than the first film. Laugh out load, hold your sides, quote the best bits to your friends, funny. And it's not for kids. Seriously. An animated film about the choices we make in life, the responsibilities of family, commitment and love is not the basis for a kiddie movie. So, you don't have to feel embarrassed about going to see this in the cinema.

Shrek was a film about inner beauty and real beauty and true love, but with lots of fighting and slapstick and silliness. It was very, very good. Shrek 2 is even better animated than its predecessor (which was spectacular to begin with), funnier, and more mature, but is perhaps not as complete a package, narratively-speaking, as the first film. This is a minor quibble in a film that leaves you at the end with the wonderful sensation of knowing you have seen a brilliant film that makes you glad cinema was invented.

The story sees Shrek and Fiona go to Far Far Away (a thinly veiled Hollywood) for a ball to celebrate their wedding. The ogre-fication of Fiona comes as a bit of a shock to her parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away, as it is to her Fairy Godmother, whose son, Prince Charming, was the originally intended choice for Fiona's bride, as organised by the King and Fairy Godmother. While the Fairy Godmother works on a plan to get Prince Charming into the role of husband, Shrek decides to do whatever is necessary to make things work out happily ever after between him and Fiona.

The jokes and riffs on famous films come thick and fast, with references ranging from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Flashdance, Spider-Man to The Fabulous Baker Boys, and From Here To Eternity to Blazing Saddles. I don't think little kids would get these but I don't care. I loved them, and the jokes, and particularly Puss In Boots. Voiced by Antonio Banderas, this character stole the show, from his lines to the cutest depiction of an anthropomorphic cat ever in the existence of animated animals (even over Disney). In fact, the only minor quibble I have is that Fiona and her mum don't get a lot of screen time, something that is difficult to do with so many characters, which is why I think that the story of the first film is more wholly satisfying. But this is a mere blemish that makes the rest look even more incredible.

This film requires a second viewing (or multiple viewings on DVD) to catch all the little jokes the animators have slipped in throughout the film, as well as to hear any gags that you might have missed while people were laughing over them in the cinema. From 'Farbucks' to the parody of Cops ('Knights'), this is hysterical stuff; I only wish they hadn't tampered with it by including British 'celebrities' to voice the original voices; Jonathan Ross replacing Larry King and somebody voicing for Katie Couric seemed unnecessary and took me out of the film for a moment, and could almost seem condescending - it's okay for all the other in-jokes to American, but we'd better make them placated with these two nods to England? In the end, it doesn't matter, because Shrek 2 is simply brilliant stuff; fun for everyone from kids to adults to over-enthusiastic film fans like myself. Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to a wonderful night out.

Rating: DAVID