--- title: "Shrek 2: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/shrek-2/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/shrek-2" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Shrek 2 (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 11 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Shrek 2 an entertaining, likeable sequel, with praise clustering around its comic voice performances and new characters. Antonio Banderas’s Puss in Boots is the clearest favourite, while Eddie Murphy’s Donkey and Jennifer Saunders’s Fairy Godmother also earn particular approval. The reviews welcome the cleverness and warmth, with several enjoying the Hollywood satire and pop-culture jokes, even when they find the sequel less fresh than the original. The disagreement centres on how much those jokes deliver: some find the references lively, others overdone, and reservations include a slow start, an uneven script and softer satire. Total Film considers it a slight improvement on its predecessor, though several reviews prefer the original. The spread is broad despite the positive majority: Slant Magazine offers the sharpest dissent, arguing that the film wastes its vocal cast and relies on stereotypes rather than challenging the ideas it claims to overturn. ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. The critic calls the sequel cute, clever and funny, and a welcome follow-up to the original. They single out Antonio Banderas’s voice performance as Puss-in-Boots for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ahlebb/shrek-2/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 2 July 2004. The review calls Shrek 2 a major triumph and a minor improvement on its predecessor. It praises Eddie Murphy’s comic performance as Donkey, while noting that the soundtrack and some movie references are weaker points. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/shrek-2-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2004. Turan finds the sequel successful and ultimately charming, despite a slow start. He especially praises its cleverness, including its pop-culture references and lively new characters. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-18-et-turan18-story.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 72/100 (inferred from the text). The review is framed as offering more of the same, suggesting a qualified rather than enthusiastic verdict. Its available description singles out marital tensions after the honeymoon, but the article text is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/shrek-2) ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Errigo finds the sequel consistently funny and highly likeable, though less daring and less sharply satirical than the original. She especially praises Puss-In-Boots, whose animation, running gag, and Antonio Banderas’s voice performance make him a standout. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shrek-2-review/) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2004. Mackie finds the film entertaining and nearly as warm and charming as Pixar’s best, despite a slight shortfall. He praises its surprises, especially the Zorro-style cat and the wicked fairy godmother. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/nov/05/dvdreviews1) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2004. Scott gives the film a positive verdict, finding its Hollywood satire amusing. He singles out its jokes aimed at the entertainment industry. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/18/movies/film-review-the-new-son-in-law-s-an-ogre-and-hollywood-is-the-target.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2004. Festival review. McCarthy finds the sequel enjoyable but less fresh and less consistently funny than the original. He especially praises the vibrant visuals and Jennifer Saunders’s lively Fairy Godmother performance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/awards/shrek-2-2-1200533426/) ## Screen Daily — Jean Oppenheimer Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2004. The page identifies this as a review of the 2004 film, but the review text is inaccessible. Its verdict and any particular praise or complaint cannot be determined from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/shrek-2/4018693.article) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Rating 1/4. 4 April 2004. The critic condemns the sequel as shallow and offensive, saying it fails to challenge the ideas it claims to reverse. He particularly faults its waste of the cast’s vocal talents and the stereotyped treatment of several characters. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/shrek-2/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2007. Kermode finds the sequel entertaining but less satisfying than its predecessor, with an uneven script and overdone references. She especially praises Antonio Banderas’s perfectly cast, consistently watchable Puss in Boots. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/shrek-2-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/shrek-2.md