True Love Conquers All, Just Like ‘Shrek 2’ At The Box Office

Even though the summer’s projected leading blockbuster (Spider-Man 2) hasn’t even opened yet, it’s clear to see the year’s biggest moviegoing season is upon us.

Shrek 2 is a perfect example. Not only did it open on the most screens of any movie in history (over 4,000), it recently became the fastest film to cross the $300 million threshold, hitting that mark in only 18 days. With a total of over $315 million and counting, Shrek 2 is already among the fifteen top-grossing films of all time and should soon overtake Finding Nemo as the highest grossing animated film in cinema history.

All that aside, perhaps the most important money matter I can convey about the film is this: I would gladly pay full price to see Shrek 2 again!

Shrek 2, which continues to play to brisk business in theatres across the country, is from DreamWorks Animation, a rival to the current king of toons, Disney, and though DreamWorks might dread the comparison, I can’t help but draw a parallel to Toy Story 2: Just as that film so successfully followed its acclaimed predecessor that it inspired debate over which entry was better, many a viewer will find themselves torn over their loyalty to the first film and the enthused hilarity of this second go-round.

This installment picks up on the fractured fairy tale tweaks of time-honored, “Once upon a time” fables from the first film, with our “hero,” the hulking, green ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers), on his honeymoon with his beloved bride Fiona (Cameron Diaz). The two lovebirds return to the delightful privacy of their swamp only to be met by an invitation to visit Fiona’s parents, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), who reside in the kingdom of Far, Far Away.

Whereas the first film took more than a few shots at a certain Mouse House that used to be the place of employ for DreamWorks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg (and there are still a few pokes more to be had here), Shrek 2 waves its satirical wand at Hollywood in general and comes up casting some deliciously hilarious spells, among which are a conniving Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), who delights in makeovers rather than wish fulfillment, and a vain, pretty-boy Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) who’s still upset the lumbering Shrek beat him to the castle to save the fair maiden Fiona.

There are also plenty of fast-moving one-liners and sight gags (the ubiquitous “Farbucks Cafe” and “Old Knavery,” as just a few examples) to a whole host of movie and TV show spoofs, including “From Here to Eternity,” “Alien,” “Ghostbusters,” Indiana Jones and dozens more.

As for the actors, Myers, Diaz and the energetic Eddie Murphy (who returns as the delightfully motor-mouthed Donkey) share such great chemistry that you’d never know they recorded their dialogue separately instead of together. For that matter, their interplay and voice acting is so spirited that you’d also never guess they each got paid $10 million apiece for their troubles.

But perhaps the most inspired bits of lunacy in this entertaining film come from the uproarious Antonio Banderas, who voices Puss in Boots, a fierce feline who is also an assassin-for-hire. He ends up competing with Donkey for the role of indispensable sidekick, and his inclusion in the proceedings lead to some of the most side-splittingly funny moments in the whole movie.

Shrek 2, rated PG for some crude humor, some suggestive content and a very brief substance reference, is a definite winner with its endearing leads, jesting jabs and ultimately timeless moral of true love (not shiny surface appearances) conquering all. This series continues to have its fun with all the “happily ever after” tales it skewers, but it never forgets the value of a good, warm-hearted storybook ending.