Spoilers….

Once upon a Time… This film upped its game from Shrek. At a time when animated sequels other than toy story were crap, this one came & proved they could be good ( lets not talk 3 that was bad & ive never seen 4). So lets travel back to the early 00s & have a blast in the swamp with Donkey (oh & shrek but its all about Donkey in my opinion).

The voice cast of this film is immense. I mean we already have Mike Cameron & Eddie from the original. However to add Jennifer, Julie, John & Rupert was brilliant. However the perfect casting of Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots… whoever originally thought that was just on fire & should be given bonuses every year for the rest of their lives. Its perfect voice casting. IT really is. Every now & then you just hit gold & this is it. I mean the way the cat is animated too, especially with those big eyes awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww really does sum it up.

The soundtrack is just banging for this film it really really is. Theres nothing that doesnt smash. Its brilliant.

The story is bloody clever too. They did put themselves in a corner after having them Marry at the end of the first film, but the whole fight for the crown & acceptance & love is a go to way to do it. It never felt like it was an after thought of ahh what next (thats what 3 & 4 were) but it felt planned & sorted & correct & perfectly balanced.

In the UK version Jonathan Ross is the ugly step sister & Kate Thornton is the entertainment person. So my questions is who does the rest of the world get for this? Im guessing Ru Paul maybe for the Step sister? i do like with these films we get people from our country to do the voices for a few bits.

Prince Charming arriving to rescue the princess at the start is brilliant, because you think oh maybe he did & then he got eaten by dragon or something but nah, he gets there too late. Thats epic. I mean he should have married the wolf. As a kids film i understand why we need to reveal that his is the godmothers son, but if it was a normal film, that wouldnt be revealed until the start of act 3 in the bar scene, once everyones handsome.

Theres a bit in a early pub scene when the king goes to see Puss, where a frog starts flirting with him. How have i only just realised this like nearly 20 years later, its bleeding obvious he is a frog prince (which technically makes their kingdom fake). I do like when he sacrifices his human form they go yeah he croaked… i laugh a lot at that.

The books the fairy godmother throws off her shelf for fairy tales are all so standard &then we get pretty woman… WONDERFUL. That who potion section from arriving, to being in the union (i love that they dont even have dental), to sneaking in, stealing the potions (& looking at all the other names) & then causing chaos on the way out. ITs so well done, i think its my favourite moment of the film.

So shrek drinks the potion & fiona also turns back to being a human, however donkey does it… what happened to dragon? was she a horse as well or was she a lizard for that time? you know? its a fair questions… come on film huge plot hole here.

all the references in the fairy godmothers song to fiona & all the stuff that happens is hilarious. & then her bedroom while shreks walking around (especially the sir justin poster which is really weird as hes in the next one). But yeh the furniture moving the dog, kyle. As a kid its a fun upbeat song. As an adult theres so much to unpack from that.

Friends arguing over the remote & cant decide what to watch is still a thing, it happened to us the other week. & then going ahh thats a good show. What would happen now… youd put it on the list.

Making that huge gingerbread man is amazing. ITs fantastic. & then all the people run from one Starbucks to another, thats amazing. At least he trys to bin his cup. Its a brilliant sequence.

I love that Shrek genuinely would give up his life as an ogre for love thats brilliant. & thats why its brilliant.

Pinocchio wearing womens undies & it being a thong in the early 00’s was deemed laughable & a joke… so glad the world has changed since then.

The dinner table shout down is fun. Especially donkey with the hand bowl. & the insults & the Mexican food & oh theres so much going on in that scene. For 00’s animation its epic.

Are we there yet?!

A Stallion baby. Also those girls in the barn ha ha, i mean ive met plenty of girls like that on a night out.

I’m a real boy, i love that he screams that as all his dreams come true.

Oh its just a blast & so much fun. Its a classic & proved that animated sequels could be very good.