Shrek 2 (2004)

NEUTRAL

In-Theaters

94%

2004, Comedy/Fantasy, 1h 32m

RT Critics’ Score: 89% (UNBIASED)
RT Audience Score: 94%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
18 wins & 52 nominations total

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Critics Consensus

It may not be as fresh as the original, but topical humor and colorful secondary characters make Shrek 2 a winner in its own right.

Audience Consensus

Shrek 2 is the perfect sequel for those who loved the first movie. The animation is still top-notch, the characters are just as lovable, and the story is even more creative. Plus, we get to meet the iconic Puss in Boots, voiced by the charming Antonio Banderas. It’s a fun and entertaining movie that will make you laugh and leave you feeling happy. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good ogre love story?

Storyline

Shrek (Mike Myers) has rescued Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), got married, and now is time to meet the parents. Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) set off to Far, Far Away to meet Fiona’s mother and father. But not everyone is happy. Shrek and King Harold (John Cleese) find it hard to get along, and there’s tension in the marriage. It’s not just the family who are unhappy. Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) returns from a failed attempt at rescuing Fiona, and works alongside his mother, the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), to try and find a way to get Shrek away from Fiona.

Production Company(ies)
Dreamworks Pictures, Pacific Data Images Dream Works Animation,

Distributor
DreamWorks SKG

Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)

Filming Location(s)

MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content

Year of Release
2004

Technical Specs

Color:

Color
Sound mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
Aspect ratio:

1.85 : 1
Runtime:

1h 32m
Language(s):

English
Country of origin:

United States
Release date:

Release Date (Theaters): May 19, 2004 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2004

Genre(s)
Comedy/Fantasy

Keyword(s)
starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Jennifer Saunders, directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon, written by Andrew Adamson, J David Stem, Joe Stillman, David N Weiss, William Steig, comedy, fantasy, PG rating, box office success, $436.5M gross, DreamWorks SKG, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, James Christopher, Miranda Sawyer, Philippa Hawker, David Denby, Kenneth Turan, Mike Massie, Rachel Wagner, Kevin Carr, Cosmo Landesman, Nanciann Cherry, producer Aron Warner, David Lipman, John H Williams

Box Office Details

Worldwide gross: $928,760,770
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,465,107,495
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 51
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 159,771,810

US/Canada gross: $441,226,247
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $696,028,410
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 40
US/Canada opening weekend: $108,037,878
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $170,428,285
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 25

Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $150,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $236,622,962
Production budget ranking: 47
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $127,421,465
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,101,063,068
ROI to date (est.): 302%
ROI ranking: 458

Cast & Crew

Mike Myers

Eddie Murphy

Cameron Diaz

Julie Andrews

Antonio Banderas

Shrek

Donkey

Princess Fiona

Queen Lillian

Puss-in-Boots

Mike Myers – Shrek (Voice)
Eddie Murphy – Donkey (Voice)
Cameron Diaz – Princess Fiona (Voice)
Julie Andrews – Queen Lillian (Voice)
Antonio Banderas – Puss-in-Boots (Voice)
John Cleese – King Harold (Voice)

Andrew Adamson

Aron Warner

David Lipman

John H. Williams

Director

Writer

Producer

Director(s)
Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon

Writer(s)
Andrew Adamson, J. David Stem, Joe Stillman, David N. Weiss, William Steig

Producer(s)
Aron Warner, David Lipman, John H. Williams

Film Festivals

Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
18 wins & 52 nominations total

Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees

Top Reviews

Derek Malcolm

James Christopher

Miranda Sawyer

Philippa Hawker

David Denby

London Evening Standard

Times (UK)

New Statesman

The Age (Australia)

New Yorker

SHREK 2
All Critics (236) | Top Critics (64) | Fresh (209) | Rotten (27)
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.

December 6, 2014

Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
All hail the angriest rebel since James Dean. All right, he’s green, pot-bellied, and has the social graces of a slug. But in terms of attitude? Peerless.

December 6, 2014

James Christopher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Go and see Shrek 2. You’ll enjoy yourself thoroughly. Only the churlish could find any faults.

December 6, 2014

Miranda Sawyer
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
Donkey, with his endless asides and phenomenally thick skin, is as much of a pleasure as he was in the first film, but he has a challenger: Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas.

December 6, 2014 | Rating: 4/5

Philippa Hawker
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
The movie is obvious, but consistently entertaining and animated in DreamWorks’s “realistic” digitized style.

November 25, 2013

David Denby
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Can an ogre live happily ever after? Can fairy tale characters be content with their fairy tale lives? Can an Oscar-winning animated success generate a successful sequel? To all these questions, Shrek 2 is happy to answer yes, yes and yes.

November 25, 2013

Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Introduces one of the most lovable and laughable characters in animation history: Puss in Boots.

November 9, 2020 | Rating: 8/10

Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Shrek 2 actually tells a creative story and doesn’t just make fun of the fairytale genre but subverts it in some clever ways.

March 11, 2019 | Rating: B-

Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
It’s just as good – if not better – than the original.

January 17, 2016 | Rating: 5/5

Kevin Carr
Fat Guys at the Movies
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sulking. I liked Shrek 2. Honest. Kids will like Shrek 2. Most mums and dads will like Shrek 2. My problem is this: I didn’t love it the way I loved Shrek.

December 6, 2014

Cosmo Landesman
Sunday Times (UK)
There’s no denying that Shrek 2 is fun, but it’s fun without substance, and like the bubbles in the Fairy Godmother’s potions, it evaporates quickly.

December 6, 2014 | Rating: 3/5

Nanciann Cherry
Toledo Blade
It’s a close call as to which one’s better.

December 6, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4

Matt Soergel
Florida Times-Union…

Plot
Shrek (Mike Myers) has rescued Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), got married, and now is time to meet the parents. Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) set off to Far, Far Away to meet Fiona’s mother and father. But not everyone is happy. Shrek and King Harold (John Cleese) find it hard to get along, and there’s tension in the marriage. It’s not just the family who are unhappy. Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) returns from a failed attempt at rescuing Fiona, and works alongside his mother, the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), to try and find a way to get Shrek away from Fiona.

Trivia