Shrek hits the spot

They never intended to make a sequel to Shrek. But then nobody had any idea that the original would prove so popular. And with what used to be called the family audience too, which, being translated, means more or less everybody. But does Shrek 2 deliver? The answer is a fairly resounding "yes".

I say fairly resounding because, in truth, the story is much slimmer and I can't say the music is very memorable. But the animation by which it stands or falls is as brilliant as ever and, though it wouldn't really be right to call it totally anti-Disney, it certainly trumps that institution for sharpness of focus, notably as far as the screenplay is concerned.

Considering Shrek 2 has been given a U certificate, it takes a few of the kind of risks that old Walt would never have countenanced. It's a bit of a mickey-take, particularly of celebrity, that might just go a bit above a few kids' heads, even though they may well giggle at a Pinocchio in ladies' underwear.

Of course, you can't completely take the mickey out of celebrity and have a posse of big names doing the voices, but that's a minor detail. It helps to sell the picture and that's the main deal as we all know.

There are all the old favourites hammering away at the soundtrack with funny voices, and some new ones too - notably Antonio Banderas as Puss-in-Boots, a feline hitman who hates everybody and has a splendid running gag that is too good to give away.

But to the plot. And not an awful lot need be said about that. Shrek (Mike Myers), the amiable ogre whose green face does not speak of jealousy but an inexperience of life that would endear him to the waggiest labrador, is taken by Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), now a daintier ogre herself, to meet the parents in Far Far Away land, where there's a red carpet that reminds one of the Oscar ceremony and a castle that could be Las Vegas itself.

They (Julie Andrews and John Cleese, a pairing that boggles the mind) are aghast at the match and what with a nasty Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), a camp Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and Puss-in-Boots, there's trouble in heaven. Naturally, Eddie Murphy's garrulous Donkey comes along for the ride and generally makes things worse trying to make them better.

In the end love triumphs, but the film is never overly sentimental in the Disney tradition. It doesn't make you drop a tear, like Dumbo or Bambi. But it does make you laugh, and it assuredly makes you admire the animation which, though still unable to make the human faces seem other than plastic, invests the rest with so much character that you can only wonder at the efforts of the Dreamworks team.

By the way, can anyone tell me the genesis of Mike Myers's accent? Is it Welsh or just double Dutch? No matter. This will run and run.

Shrek 2
Cert: U