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Shrek 2 (2004)

★★★ — Shrek 2 (2004)

Shrek 2 arrived in May 2004 as the sequel to DreamWorks Animation's surprise 2001 smash, which had itself been a pointed (and very public) riposte to the Disney fairy-tale formula. Andrew Adamson returned as one of three directors alongside Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, a collaborative arrangement that was fairly unusual even by animation standards. The $150 million budget was enormous by the measure of the time, though the gamble paid off spectacularly: the film became the highest-grossing release of 2004 worldwide and held the record as the highest-grossing animated film ever for several years. It also introduced Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, a character popular enough to eventually spin off into his own franchise.

It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not deeply moving, and it’s definitely not as fresh as the original, but Shrek 2 is solid, funny, and undeniably entertaining in that glossy, referential way only early-2000s DreamWorks could pull off. The jokes come fast (some land, some don’t) and the pop culture gags still have a certain nostalgic charm. The cast is great and the “Accidentally in Love” montage is pure rom-com gold. But beneath the sparkle, it’s ultimately just above-average kids’ animation. It leans hard on its star power and visual flair, but the story is pretty basic: meet the in-laws, survive dinner, save the kingdom. Seen it before. Still, it’s well-made, well-timed, and my kid laughed a lot, so I can’t hate it.

Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2004 | Watched: 2025-07-23

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