Sequel success! 'Shrek 2' a rare breed indeed

'Shrek 2" is a movie with some big shoes to fill. It's the sequel to a movie that is not only beloved by all, not only a modern-day classic, but also a film that redefined animated film and changed the way "kids movies" were made.

"Shrek" was one of those rare, magical movies that transcended age demographics; it was flat-out excellent. The story itself was a simple twist on the classic fairy tale. Instead of Prince Charming, our hero is Shrek, a grumpy green ogre who lives alone in a swamp.

The evil Lord Farquaad, a man who uses evil to compensate for his ludicrously short stature and banishes all fairy tale creatures to Shrek's swamp. Now forced to cohabitate with the blind mice, the three little pigs, Pinocchio and the rest, Shrek sets out with his new friend, a talking donkey - named Donkey - to confront the foul Lord.

One thing leads to another, and Shrek is forced to go on a quest and rescue a beautiful princess from a dragon. His big rocky heart melts for Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz has that effect on man and ogre alike, I suppose) and then Shrek has to contend with being in love; a fate more daunting than facing down a thousand dragons.

"Shrek" has energy and humor. It's loaded with flatulence jokes, but also with sharp jabs at the Disney films and, indeed, any fairy tale that has come before it. "Shrek" put the ugly guy in the hero role, and used that as its message: Who's to say what ugly really is? And why does it matter, anyway?

"Shrek" has a good message and a good heart, but you don't notice it because the film doesn't get maudlin; it just entertains. It's a fine line to walk, and this movie does it better than any family film to come before it. "Shrek" wasn't just the best animated movie of the year, it was the best animated film of the last 20 years.

So how could it be possible to duplicate that magic?

I'm asking, because I'd really like to know. Every year, there are a lot of sequels, and most of them are flat and dreary; not made because they have a story to tell, but because a studio executive saw a few million bucks to be made.

"Shrek 2" is not one of those movies. "Shrek 2" is just as funny and enjoyable as the first film. "Shrek 2" proves that the grouchy ogre is a franchise player and will be around for many, many years to come.

Here, Shrek and Fiona are living happily in the swamp. One day, her royal parents send a summons, and she convinces hubby Shrek to go meet his snobby in-laws. They travel to the land of Far Far Away, which is the fairy tale equivalent of Tinseltown, and Shrek has to deal with the trappings of his wife's former life.

Not only is John Cleese her judgmental father, but Rupert Everett is the actual Prince Charming, who had planned to marry Fiona himself. (Remember in the first film, Shrek asks her, "Who did you expect, Prince Charming?" and Fiona replies "Actually, yes.") Even worse, Charming's meddling mother is a powerful witch and determined to ruin Fiona's happiness.

"Shrek 2" doesn't feel like something that was made up or added-on. It feels every inch like a natural extension of the first film. Questions raised in the first film are answered here, and all the lovable characters make return appearances - along with a few new ones.

The amazing colors and zooming digital camera work keep everything dazzling to the eye, and the sharp wit and self-deprecating sense of humor keep everything light and funny.

Speaking of funny, I would be remiss if I didn't draw special attention to Eddie Murphy as the voice of Donkey. All the "Shrek" movies are loaded with funny voice talents (Diaz, Cleese, Mike Myers, John Lithgow), but Murphy's role as the motor-mouthed ass is the best of them all. He deserves all the praise that hack Robin Williams got for "Aladdin" 100 times over. "Shrek" wouldn't be Shrek without him.

"Shrek 3-D" was originally made as part of a theme park attraction at Universal Studios. However, the resulting 16-minute cartoon was so perfect it earned itself a DVD release.

Set in between the two films, "Shrek 3-D" picks up with the happy couple heading off on their honeymoon. The ghost of Lord Farquaad is not done laughing maniacally, though, and returns from beyond to orchestrate the kidnapping of Fiona. Shrek and Donkey must endure a haunted graveyard, a stone dragon and a set of perilous waterfalls to get Fiona back.

The cartoon itself is fantastic. I hate to sound like I'm repeating myself, but the quality even in this short one-shot cartoon is astounding. It's funny, filled with action and all done against a breathtaking pallet of colors.

But the 3-D aspect of it is very disappointing.

I've been to Universal and seen the film on the big screen; and I can tell you, honestly, it's the best 3-D I've ever seen. But it does not translate well to the home theater. Three-D glasses are included, but the effects leave much to be desired. Thankfully, you can turn the 3-D aspect off, and watch the short in glorious color.

So far, the "Shrek" franchise has been no less than perfect. This is one of those rare cases in which I actually look forward to more sequels, because Shrek movies are like parfaits, and you know what they say about parfaits.

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