More human than the entire cast of “Troy,” everyone’s favorite animated green ogre is back — in “Shrek 2” — and just as charming and funny as ever.
Shrek 2
A true piece of entertainment for the whole family, my husband and I laughed every bit as hard as our four-year-old son and his five-year-old buddy.
But we laughed at different things.
No huge surprise, the kids liked the endless fart jokes, the preening Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and the Eddie Murphy-voiced Donkey, who reached new comedic heights with his version of an “are we there yet?” shtick during his trek with newlyweds Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Shrek (Mike Meyers) to the castle to meet the parents.
My husband’s biggest yuks came during Shrek’s awkward first meeting with Fiona’s judgmental father, King Harold (John Cleese) and prim mother (Julie Andrews). Saucy Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas) was also a favorite.
My favorite moments were the throwaways: Tom Waits, drawn like Captain Hook, singing “Little Drop of Poison” in the diviest bar this side of the Sportsman; Princess Fiona’s poster of “Prince Justin” Timberlake; Joan Rivers giving an Academy Award style play-by-play of a party at the castle and the Disneyland-meets-Caesar’s-Palace entrance to the kingdom of Far, Far Away.
With enough harmless innuendo to keep even teenagers giggling (while going over the heads of little ones), this is truly a movie the whole family can enjoy.