A sequel that pales (unsurprisingly) to the original, mainly because the story isn't as epic or as classic, as the original. The story is centered on more down-to-earth problems, such as the stress on Shrek and Fiona's relationship. What this means is that it's not the classic adventure from the original, but one that's more talk and less heroics. While the movie still littered with cultural references, the humor doesn't feel as natural or as clever as the original. You'll chuckle along with some of the attempts, but by and large, it's nowhere near as funny or amusing as you would want it to be. The climax brings back a taste of what it could be, purely because it was the only adrenaline rush in the whole movie. It stands out as the most exhilarating scene in the 1.5 hours and it was a lot of fun to watch. The music complemented what was shown on screen really well and there was even a sad moment when one of Shrek's comrade fell. Overall, a bland film with an uninspired plot, it just feels so... normal that it doesn't feel much like a fantasy other than the obvious fairytale characters.