They’re back and ogrier than ever!
In this animated fairy tale sequel, ogres Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and their trusty steed Donkey (Eddie Murray) travel to Far Far Away to visit Fiona’s royal, and human, parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) who are seeing red at Fiona’s being green. Fiona’s dad, scheming with the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming, hire a hitman, err, hitcat Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas) to take out Shrek. Of that dry summary, all you really need to remember is Puss-in-Boots, since he’s the only engaging character out of the bunch.
For the college-aged crowd, Shrek 2 lives and more often dies in its pop culture references inserted into the fairy tale environment. Some of the send-ups are great—jokes about Starbucks are always welcome—but many of them are groaners. Satire is a delicate style of comedy that requires both wit and timeliness, and Shrek 2 feels very old.
One recurring problems with sequels is that they rehash the same material. I mean, weren’t you all appalled when American Pie 2 (and then American Wedding) were all just about how Jason Biggs looks awkward having sex, be it with pies or girls?
Shrek 2 has the same problem. To quote former S&B movie reviewer extraordinaire Jayn Bailey ‘05, “The movie’s theme is so typical! I mean, how many times must we be told “beauty lies within” and that “true love is blind?!” Let’s face it, this fairy tale morality would be nice if it were true, but that isn’t how life works. Besides, the movie contradicts itself by using appearances to get laughs.” Jayn is a wise sage—this problem plagues Shrek 2.
Shrek 2 is an ideal movie to share with a Davis Buddy. The animation is beautiful, and while the good jokes are rarer than I’d like, they are sprinkled throughout. The Fairy Godmother is an intriguingly malevolent avatar of fate, and Banderas lampoons himself wonderfully as a rascally Tabby. Animated films have been amazing over the past five years, though, and Shrek 2, with its dated jokes and bad pop music, will not be remembered as a gem of this golden age.
—reviewed by Bradley Iverson-Long
When it was released, one of Citizen Ruth’s taglines was “A Pro-Laugh Comedy,” and, with that in mind, it’s probably blindingly obvious to all of us why it’s being shown this weekend. When Ruth, an inhalant addict with four children and a fifth on the way, gets taken on as the poster-child for both the hypocritical “Babysavers” and the overly polished pro-choicers, a wacky romp through the two movements ensues. The politicization of the personal goes to propagandistic extremes on both sides of the debate, and Citizen Ruth sets out to humorously skewer each group. But really, when it comes down to it, this is about as dark as comedy gets.
But there’s another important theme in this film that the inspiring promotional photograph of a clean, grinning Laura Dern posed as the Statue of Liberty, with a can of spray paint in her hand, does not reveal. It’s huffing. For what feels like the better part of the film, Ruth (played by Dern), has that spray paint in her hand and the lower half of her face is painted blue, her eyes are glazed, and she is nothing like that grinning statue. And maybe, just maybe, it would be proper at this time to advance the idea that huffing is not funny. Really not funny. Makes you want to cry and throw up not funny.
I know everyone’s excited about this “abortion comedy,” and it is definitely worth seeing, not to vindicate your position but to remind yourself that everyone in the world is crazy or a jerk, if you think that’s funny. And if you think huffing is funny, more power to you.
—reviewed by Emilia Garvey
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