Shrek 2 720p - (2004 Lang: English)

More Shrekervescence! Wonderful!

I know what you're expecting me to say. "If you liked Shrek ..." And it's so true. Fans of the first will be ga-ga over the second. The gang at Dreamworks was smart enough not to monkey around with a winning formula, so you have all the wit and charm of Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and all the fantastic fairy-tale creatures.

At the beginning of 2, Shrek and Fiona have been invited by Fiona's parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) to the family castle. Imagine their surprise when the honeymooning ogres show up! Seems the king and queen haven't heard that a) Fiona's an ogre and b) that her husband is one, too. Naturally, this doesn't sit particularly well with the king, and soon he's hired a hit man - Puss in Boots, no less, voiced by Antonio Banderas - to bump off his new son in law. Meanwhile, a Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) offers help to Fiona. And quickly, the main question of the film - conveniently, it was the main question of the first film - is whether love conquers all. Oh, perhaps it's a bit more complex than that - perhaps it's whether Fiona would love Shrek, no matter what he looked like. Come to think of it, that was the theme of the first one as well.

Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. As the sequel to the 2001 film Shrek, it was directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, who reprise their roles from the first film, are joined by Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, and Jennifer Saunders.

Like its predecessor, Shrek 2 received positive reviews. It scored the second-largest three-day opening weekend in US history at the time of release, as well as the largest opening for an animated film until May 18, 2007, when it was eclipsed by its sequel Shrek the Third. It went on to be the highest-grossing film of 2004.

It is DreamWorks's most successful film to date and was also the highest-grossing animated film of all time worldwide until Toy Story 3 surpassed it in 2010; it is now the ninth highest-grossing animated film of all time. It is also the seventh-highest animated film of all-time in ticket sellings. The associated soundtrack reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200.

Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon to find they have been invited by Fiona's parents to a royal ball to celebrate their marriage. Shrek refuses to go at first, but Fiona talks him into it, and along with Donkey, they travel to the kingdom of Far Far Away. They meet Fiona's parents, King Harold and Queen Lillian, who are shocked to see their daughter as an ogre, with Harold particularly repulsed. At dinner, Shrek and Harold get into a heated argument over how Shrek and Fiona will raise their family, and Fiona, disgusted at Shrek and Harold's behavior, locks herself away in her room that evening. Shrek worries that he has lost his true love, particularly after finding her childhood diary and reading that she was once infatuated with Prince Charming.

Harold is reprimanded by the Fairy Godmother and Charming, her son, by reminding Harold that Charming was to marry Fiona in exchange for his own happy ending, and requests that he finds a way of getting rid of Shrek. Harold arranges for Shrek and Donkey to join him on a fictitious hunting trip, which actually is a trap to lure them into the hands of an assassin, Puss in Boots. However, Puss is unable to defeat Shrek and, revealing that he was paid by Harold, requests to come along and make amends. The three sneak into the Fairy Godmother's potion factory and steal a "Happily Ever After" potion that Shrek thinks will restore Fiona's love for him.

Shrek and Donkey both drink the potion and fall into a deep sleep, awakening the next morning to discover its effects: Shrek is now a handsome human, while Donkey has turned into an elegant white stallion. In order "to make the change permanent", Shrek must kiss Fiona "by midnight". Shrek, Donkey and Puss return to the castle to discover that the potion has transformed Fiona back into her former human self as well. However, the Fairy Godmother, having discovered the potion's theft, intercepts Shrek and sends Charming to pose as him and win her love. At the Fairy Godmother's urging, Shrek leaves the castle, thinking that the best way to make Fiona happy is to let her go.

To ensure that Fiona falls in love with Charming, the Fairy Godmother gives Harold a love potion to put into Fiona's tea. This exchange is overheard by Shrek, Donkey and Puss, who are soon later arrested by the royal guards and thrown into a dungeon. While the royal ball begins, several of Shrek's friends band together to free the trio, creating a monster-sized gingerbread man, which breaks through the castle's defences so Shrek can prevent Charming from kissing Fiona. He is too late to stop them; instead of falling in love with Charming, though, Fiona knocks him out with a headbutt. Harold reveals that he never gave Fiona the love potion, whereupon the now enraged Fairy Godmother attacks Shrek. In the ensuing melee, Harold sacrifices himself to save Shrek; Harold's armour ricochets the Fairy Godmother's spell which disintegrates her into bubbles; it also returns Harold to his true form as the Frog Prince. He had used the Happily Ever After potion years before in order to marry Lillian, but she tells him that she loves him regardless of his appearance.

As the clock strikes midnight, Shrek and Fiona let the potion's effects wear off and they revert to their ogre forms, while Donkey changes back to his natural form as well. Harold gives his blessing to the marriage and apologizes for his earlier behavior, and the party resumes. After the party, the Dragon, who had previously romanced Donkey, arrives and reveals that they now have several dragon-donkey hybrid babies.

Shrek and Fiona journey to the land of Far, Far Away, where the stuffy king and the queen mum live. Far, Far Away is a clear knockoff of Hollywood itself (complete with the sign on the mountain), and the journey includes a pass through what looks like Beverly Hills. The attention to detail is marvelous, as always.

As with 1, 2 drops all sorts of Disney references, most resulting in full-out belly laughter. I was in stitches, although perhaps - just perhaps - some of the humor will zoom over your tiny tot's tiny head.

Shrek 2 is a beautifully done movie, perhaps even more entertaining than the original. Sure, at the end you know your emotions have been manipulated somewhat, but in the end you really don't care. Outstanding voice performances, flawless animation, and a crisp, moderately adult (but not mature, definitely not mature) script reign supreme.

Good Movie!