Leaving Storybrooke

Lana Parrilla as Regina, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 22 Series Finale Leaving Storybrooke picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming

Wish-Rumble’s plan was to separate everyone into their own stand-alone stories, meaning everyone is all alone. Although Zelena is on the Nautilus and hates fish.  However Regina uses her love to save Henry from the darkness that would makes Wish-Rumple’s plan happen. In the process OGRumble destroys Wish-Rumble by giving his heart to Wish-Hook which cures him of the poison. Not sure HOW THIS WORKS! But methinks the creators don’t either so just go with it. Anyway Rumble dies and reunites with Belle, Happy ending for Rumbelle.  

Then Regina cast a “curse” that brings all the realms together so all the wish people, all the other story realms, all the time-travel stuff all live in Maine. Now try, TRY to figure out the timelines and who is who. For some characters there are three versions of them. For instance Henry; there is Storybrooke Henry, Wish-Henry and Adult Henry.

WAIT! If all the realms are merged that means Henry doesn’t go to the Other Enchanted forest to meet Ella and therefore Lucy shouldn’t exist. Also if all the realms are merged  would THAT mean Rumple and Belle would be back in Storybrooke since future Rumple and Belle died but technically canonically in the timeline they would have been traveling around the Enchanted Forest with Gideon? But you’re not supposed to think of about it too much, just go with it.

Another thing they added that was pure fan-service was the dialogue about Lily’s dad being Zorro. WTF! Sure, I like everyone (I assume) wanted this addressed but a one line about Zorro being a dragon feels like a diss and a tease.  

Also speaking of tease was Henry being Rumple’s undoing, since they made us recall the seer from season 2 in the last episode. I guess yes since Wish-Henry stopped Wish-Rumble’s plan but really it was OGRumble that stopped Wish-Rumble.     

Anyway let’s talk about the big ending. With all the realms united Regina is electived the Good Queen to rule them all. I guess Storybrooke takes after Naboo with electing Queens. The show teases about why Emma isn’t there only to have Emma shows up with her baby and  a meta line about how she wouldn’t miss the event. Though Hook baby-proofing his hook was cute. AND AGAIN timelines and ages on these kids makes no sense but then again JUST GO WITH IT!

Anyway this was a fine ending for Regina, she gets her happy ending or her second chance. Regina’s and Rumble endings are both great and fitting for their character but the sloppiness  of getting all that fan-service and timeline brought the series finale down.

Then again if you just go with it and not think too deeply it’s fine, it’s all fine.

Episode 13: Witch Hunt

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Rebecca Mader as Zelena ABCs Once Upon a Time Witch Hunt picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Rebecca Mader as Zelena

In this episode we are introduced to the Wicked Witch of the West properly. Her name is Zelena, which means green in Bosnian. She is also masquerading around Storybrooke as a midwife, this way she can get close to Snow.

In The Storybrooke section, everyone trying to figure out how to get their memories back. The consensus is to figure out who cast the curse. Regina and Emma work together and decide to try and smoke out the person with a con that they are making a memory potion at Regina’s office. Regina puts a blood lock on the office so the person can’t get out but they do in a puff of green smoke.

While that is happening people who try leaving Storybrooke are getting taken away by flying monkeys and turning in to them as well. The Flying Monkeys and the green smoke  informs the group that they are dealing with The Wicked Witch.

Zelena has also brought Rumple back from the dead and he is a little touched in the head.

The past section of the episode which is only a year in the past so it feels contemporary, has Regina and Robin hood breaking into her castle. Again the group figures out it’s a Wicked Witch of OZ because if a flying monkey attacks.  Regina is a little perturbed that the blood lock to the castle was opened but she is really there to get the ingredients for a sleeping curse because she can’t bare to live without Henry. Robin pleads with her to find something to live for but her mind is set.  Regina lowers the shield and is about to curse herself when the Wicked Witch enters the room in one of Regina’s gowns and takes the sleeping curse from Regina. She introduces herself as Zelena and tells her that she is her older half sister by Cora. Zelena’s motivation is to take everything from Regina and leaves. Regina then tells Robin that she has something to life for, a person to destroy. It’s nice to have goals

This episode definitely moves the plot along. This core family group is getting more complex, now Regina has a half sister. Who is her father? Rumple? Probably not, would make that family tree weirder that it already is. It was an enjoyable episode but it just leaves more questions than it answered, that’s the point though. And Rumple is BACK WHAT? How? So much for his noble sacrifice.   

Also not sure  on the make-up on Zelena. It’s looks like glowing sweat but green. Still better than The Wicked Witch in Oz the Great and Powerful.       

       

 

Episode 14: The Tower

Josh Dallas as Princes Charming (David) & Alexandra Metz as Rapunzel ABCs Once Upon a Time The Tower picture image

Josh Dallas as Princes Charming (David) & Alexandra Metz as Rapunzel

This is a Charming heavy episode with a one-off appearance of Rapunzel. Rapunzel was a waste. Basically this episode is about facing your fear in a manifestation of yourself brought on by a root. In The Enchanted Forest Rapunzel took some because she was scared to be a leader. Her other self chased into a tower and keeps her there. Charming gives her some encouragement and she defeats her fear and goes home. This is still in the missing year period.

In Storybrooke, Zelena slips Charming the root so he can face his fear of being a bad dad to steal a symbol of his courage. Also they find traces of Rumple as they track down The Witch’s house, which is a Farm which looks like Dorothy’s 1939 farm house.  Rumple isn’t there, he got out, somehow but the spinning wheel and gold are.

Aside from Charming’s dream, which shows a Princess version of Emma and a Emma and  Hook moment this episode was a bore. It wastes Rapunzel to a scared little girl and it seems like she won’t be back as she resolved her storyline. I guess she COULD return someday but there wasn’t much to her character.

Emma’s princess dress was pretty but not the weird feathery arm bands, this show loves its feathers. In her case she is a “Swan” Princess so makes sense, in theory.

Bonus Picture Time

Jennifer Morrison as Princess Emma Swan picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Princess Emma Swan

 

Episode 13: Tiny

Jorge Garcia as Anton, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Lee Arenberg as Grumpy and Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 13 Tiny picture image

Jorge Garcia as Anton, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Lee Arenberg as Grumpy and Josh Dallas as Charming

Ha!!!!!!! That is not what Logan Airport looks like, or I have been using the wrong terminal all this time. Also really a flight to Boston to New York? It’s not that far via car or bus, or train and then none of that take off the cloak Drama. Basically  Rumpelstiltskin is having cultural shock and he can’t use magic.

In the character’s past Prince James, Charming/David’s twin, and his lover Jacqueline a.k.a Jack are tasked with tricking a Giant, Anton, who has come to town. Anton is the giant from the compass episode.  He thinks they are friends but they just want the beans. James and Jack kill all the giants but Anton destroys all the beans and before the giant leader  dies, he gives Anton a new beanstalk seed that can grow more beans.  Also to prove James is more of a jerk, he lets Jack die.

In Storybrooke, Hook shows Snow, Charming and Leroy, a captured Anton, who is travel size.  Anton goes on a tear when he sees Charming/David. Regina and Hook decide to use Anton as a distraction and Regina makes him big. Charming offers himself for the town. Anton tries to crush him but the size mushroom wears off and Anton’s life is in danger. The town saves him and he welcomes him into the fairy/literature fold. Anton tells them about planting the bean to return to the enchanted forest but warns them that it’s what Cora wanted.

 

At end Snow tells Charming home is where Emma and Henry are and she doesn’t want to leave them. Greg also tells Belle that he saw magic too.  

 

This was not the strongest episode. It some ways it moved the plot and in other ways seemed to stall. Did the giant need a backstory and did it need a whole episode?  Let’s see where it leads but most of it felt like filler.  I do like the irony of a giant being an honorary dwarf at the end.

 

Episode 14: Manhattan

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 14 Mahhattan picture image

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin

Confession time, this episode got spoiled for me BUT oh wow!  Amazing twist! You could not have predicted who the true identity of who Neil really was. It fits perfectly and does add to the drama.

The plot of this is fairly simple. Emma, Rumpelstiltskin  and Henry go to Manhattan to find Baelfire and oh boy do they find him quickly. Like Rumpelstiltskin’s globe pinpointed the building.  

So they find him but he takes off running, Rumpelstiltskin sends  Emma after him and to get Bae to speak to him. She catches him but it’s her baby daddy Neal a.k.a Baelfire.  Emma questions that if  his motivates for being with her and if they were part of the curse. He says no and he wants nothing to do with Rumpelstiltskin. Emma withholds the information that he has a son.

Emma reports back that she was unsuccessful and Rumpelstiltskin breaks in to Baelfire’s apartment. Rumpelstiltskin notices Emma acting weird and starts questioning her but Baelfire shows up to defend Emma against Rumpelstiltskin since Emma didn’t really keep her side of the bargain. When Baelfire see Henry he questions Henry’s age and it’s revealed to everyone else that he is the father.    

The character’s past portion is about Rumpelstiltskin pre-dark one and post. Rumpelstiltskin is excited to go to the front but while there he meets a seer. She tells him he will die and it will leave his son fatherless. Or rather his actions will lead his unborn son fatherless. And yes they do. Rumpelstiltskin meets her after becoming the Dark One and she tells him that he will reunite with his son but a boy will be his undoing. Rumpelstiltskin says we will have to kill this boy. The boy is Henry. Seems like invented conflict since Rumpelstiltskin’s motivation have been his son the whole time so it seems a little out of character for him to now want to kill his grandson but we’ll see where this goes. Character’s personality change so much in this show that it COULD be in his character.

Also In Storybrooke, Cora, Regina, and Hook are on a quest to find Rumpelstiltskin’s dagger so that he will be the one to kill those who stand in Regina’s way of being the sole mommy of Henry. I guess that mean she’ll have to kill Rumpelstiltskin too since he have more of claim on Henry than she does. Does that close adoption thing mean nothing now? Did the curse break existing law? How did that law work? I mean Henry was born in Arizona. Someone MUST have brought Henry to Storybrooke  and yet no one could get into Storybrooke prior, unless they were related to the Fairy Tale world. We Know Rumpelstiltskin arranged it but did Regina go? She can leave since she wasn’t a victim of the curse. But Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t leave Storybrooke since he was a victim but he retained his memories. So many questions. How did they get into the town like pregnancy tests or coffee? Does the curse just make commodities appear?   

Also Gregg saw Regina use magic and sent “her” a video of it.

 
Despite raising all sorts of questions with this possession over Henry plot, this was a great episode. The drama from New York crew was on point. They rest of the episode did feel weak by comparison although that seer was kind of awesome.  She reminded of the Harpy in The Last Unicorn. I want to know how she got captured and why? Where is that episode?

 

Bonus Picture Time

The Seer Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 14 Mahhattan picture image

The Seer

Episode 7: Child of the Moon

Meghan Ory as Ruby and Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season Episode 7 Child of the Moon picture image

Meghan Ory as Ruby and Josh Dallas as Charming

Oh, King George, you suck. This episode centers around Red/Ruby. In Storybrooke King George a.k.a Spencer, frames Ruby for murder. David doesn’t buy it and calls him out of him but Spencer burns Jefferson’s hat which was to get Mary Margaret/Snow White and Emma back.  

Also we learn the truth behind Henry and Aurora’s dream.  It’s really their soul being set to a netherworld. Mr Gold gives Henry a necklace to control his presence there and speaks a little with Aurora.

In the character’s past, Red meets more of her kind and  learns how control herself in the wolf form. However Red’s mother tries and makes her choose between her wolf side and human side, Red picks both facets of her being.

The CGs are still bad and I will still bring it up otherwise the episode was great. Red/Ruby is great character as she both strong yet very vulnerable in a believable way.    

 

Episode 8: Into the Deep

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 8 Into the Deep picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming

I really liked how this episode blended the two narratives of the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. So everyone figures out that since Henry and Aurora were under the sleeping curse and their souls go to that red room when they sleep, Henry can give info to Aurora to get Snow and Emma home, or rather how to deal with Cora. However as Aurora and Henry try and converse the Enchanted forest crew is attacked.  Aurora is then kidnapped and Cora gives them a deadline to turn over the compass or it’s bye-bye Aurora. Snow gets the idea that if she can go into a deep enough sleep she can enter the red room to speak to Henry. So they go Poppy hunting.

However in Storybrooke, Regina and Charming see burns on Henry’s arm and Charming decides that HE should get cursed too since he KNOWs Snow will find a way there. The two soul mates reunite in a hellish prison. Anyway the way to stop Cora is the way they stopped Rumpelstiltskin way back in the Cinderella episode with squid ink. Rumpelstiltskin says there is some in his old prison cell.

Back in the forest, Hook frees Aurora but Hook is a no good double traitor and takes Aurora’s heart and gives it to Cora. This means Cora can control Aurora’s words and actions.
I enjoyed this episode but there is  a lot going on. I mean it’s better than that Frankenstein filler episode.  It also had a good cliff-hanger. Not too much I can say about this episode.

Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/James & Aria Pullman as the Siren ABC's Once Upon a Time, What Happened to Frederick picture image

Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/James & Aria Pullman as the Siren

Episode 13: What Happened to Frederick?

This is going to sound silly but I wished they had reversed Kathryn/Abigail’s name like Kathryn is the princess and Abigail is the real world counterpart. Also, I’m pretty sure I have the same yellow pot that David and Abigail have in their home.

In the Fairy Tale world part of the episode follows James and Abigail. Abigail doesn’t want to marry him because she too has a tragic love story. Her love, Frederick, got that Midas Touch  and is now a statue. Abigail tells James she tried the whole true love kiss but silly Frederick being a soldier and protecting his King was wearing his helmet, so the true love kiss cure doesn’t work if it’s not on the lips, oddly specific. Abigail tells James about another cure all, the water of a lake guarded by a beast who kills all who tries to take the water. Since James killed that unkillable dragon he is pretty confident he can get that water and he does. The Beast is really a sexy siren who lures men in with either her looks or the looks of other women, in this case Snow White. The Siren doesn’t know context though so James thinking Snow White doesn’t love him doesn’t fall for the lure, guess heartbreak can save the day? So Frederick is cured and they all are happy because love.  James also finds out from Red Riding hood, who is a Snow’s Pal,  that she does love him and the King made her say she didn’t love him.  King George is such a dick!

In the Storybrooke world it comes out that David is cheating on Kathryn with Mary Margaret. The trouble is David didn’t tell Kathryn about the affair just that he was leaving her and couldn’t go with her to Boston. It’s Regina who tells Kathryn and Regina also wrote “Tramp” on Mary Margaret’s car. At the end, Mary Margaret again tells David they can’t work since he wasn’t honest. These two are so back and forth. Also Kathryn tries to leave Storybrooke but curse says she can’t and gym teacher that we see earlier in the episode comes to her aid but she is gone. Also he’s Frederick. The show isn’t very subtle about elements.  Also Emma goes on a date with The Stranger. They go to a well and discuss the healing properties of water. The Stranger also restored Henry’s book and left it for Emma to find.  

I really liked this episode. Abigail is starting to get a personality. Also I find it refreshing that “other woman” is the one the audience is rooting for it but the “wife” isn’t a horrible person. Alongside Once Upon a Time, I’m watching this Turkish Drama called “Magnificent Century” which like depending on the episode you’re rooting for the other women and also the “other women” switches between two women, they are concubines.  

Anyway, super off topic. I liked that this episode was very much it’s own thing and wasn’t taking from a set Fairy Tale but it pulled more from myths. I liked that the Beast was a Siren as this show doesn’t do CG effects super well and we had seen James already fight a dragon so the mental challenge  was more interesting.

As for the Storybrooke plot, it was fine. It did seems like the plot was moving a bit forward but then backtracked with David and Mary Margaret. I do like Emma and the Stranger a.k.a August Wayne  Booth, who named these characters? Anyway good episode.  

Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret & Lee Arenberg as Leroy ABC's Once Upon a Time, Dreamy picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret & Lee Arenberg as Leroy

Episode 14: Dreamy

This story focuses on Grumpy’s backstory. Grumpy’s real first name was Dreamy. Dwarves come from eggs and they mine for diamonds which get turns into fairy dust which fuels the world. They couldn’t call it Diamond Dust since that would a Final Fantasy reference. However Dreamy is special because before he was hatched his egg was sprinkled with some fairy dust which makes him capable of love and he is in love with a novice fairy named Nova who seems to like-like him back.   However Dwarves and fairies are bound to their very fixed speice roles so they can’t be together to see the world. This leaves Nova heart-broken and Dreamy becomes Grumpy.

Meanwhile in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret is still being shunned by the town but is trying to sell candles for miner’s day. That is a day where Nuns make candle to trade with Miners for coal. Grumpy’s counterpart, Leroy, whom I’m resisting calling Leeroy Jenkins is enamored with a nun, named Astrid. Now why is Mary Margaret the one with a Nun sounding Nun but the Nun doesn’t? These names!  Anyway, Astrid is Nova’s counterpart and because of a goof she made the Nuns will get kicked out of their convent if they don’t sell all the candles by following day.. Leroy and Mary Margaret rally together but since she is the town tramp and Leroy is the town drunk they don’t sell any candles. Leroy tells Mary Margaret that Astrid was the first person that said he could do anything. Leroy then causes a blackout because some well intentioned property damage is okay. This back-out sells all the candle so the Nuns can stay. While that is happening  Kathryn is missing.  Emma rules out David as her magic internal  lie detector doesn’t go off. Sidney and Regina get the phone records from Kathryn which makes David look super shady has he called her shortly before Kathryn disappeared.

Overall this episode was a average at best. I want to like learning about the Dwarves but it didn’t really connect and felt contrived. This also left me wondering why Emma can’t detect Sidney lying back in episode 11 when all he did wass lie. Is there a reason or is this superpower plot specific? Also Nun’s paying rent for on convent? That seems odd but plot says that is the plot.  I did like how you can tells which candles are real and which ones are fake LED lights.  

Anyway it was an average epsiode, next!

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming once upon a time season 1 episode 3 Snow Falls picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/James in Once Upon a Time

I bet you can guess what the first thing I noticed was? Prince Charming’s fiancee’s outfit. WTF? That was so far the ugliest costume in the show? What ever they thinking. I don’t get this styling.

Anyway this episode focuses on Snow White and Prince Charming/James backstory of how they met/ fell into like-like. Most modern take-off on fairy tale have to move away from the love at first sight angle and have to opt for an ass-kicking female who while she might get saved from the guy does save the guy at some point. So their meeting, which precisely this, does come off a boring from a story/character angle. Snow White is thief who robs the Prince’s jewel so she can move somewhere else and she has a secret weapon she is saving for the evil queen but uses it to save Prince James. This is a weird point of contention where Snow White’s actions and motivation  are concern. She says she wants to move to another realm seemingly avoiding the Queen and yet she want to squish her like a bug, no actually that is her secret weapon. So what is her motivation? It’s a little confused since she is activity working towards one end. And if she is a thief who bother hanging around the woods? Why not just leave and steal in a new place? I dunno I guess they need to keep the mystery levels high.

While the back story is playing out, in Maine the prince is a comatose dude  and Mary Margaret reads him the story book of how Snow and James meet which causes him to wake up and run off. Emma, Henry, the cop guy Graham maybe, and  Mary Margaret find him unconscious in the river. In the standard gender reversal Mary Margaret gives him CPR/kiss and he wakes up and they go back to hospital where evil mean Regina introduces them to his wife who has BS story Blah blah blah.

I feel like the acting isn’t that great in this episode or it may be the writing but there is a certain level of  stilled acting. I also don’t get how Snow White had this snarky tough persona in this episode but not so much earlier and not at all with Mary Margaret. And  who named her Mary Margaret as a combination name?  Don’t get me wrong I like the thief and royal pairing but meh it did do much for me here. Then it’s still only episode three so I’m incline to forgive it.

Dumb side-note, I wish the Prince’s name was Jon so I could make a Jon Snow joke but alas no.

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming once upon a time pilot season 1 episode 1 picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming in ABC’s Once Upon a Time

I have started watching Once Upon a Time. For the moment, till I can find my groove with these reviews (probably not the right word), I’m just going to one episode at a time. Perhaps later I will cover more episodes per post but for a least the first moth or so,  one episode at a time.  Also no promises on pictures all the time.

I don’t want to say I’m reviewing the episodes, I would say it’s more like feedback  though I could get into more a review stance once I find a groove.

Right off the bat, Boston and Maine. I’m from New England, Massachusetts to be more precise. I went to school in Boston and South Station was my part of my daily life for a while. So I’m kind of happy that the story takes place in Maine and Boston gets a mention. I get that like this whole of a place of no Happily Ever After is the real  would but I find it a little funny to say Maine is the horrible place of no happiness, Maine is pretty nice.  Also Emma has a REALLY nice apartment for Boston. Like wow, she makes bank.

So first impressions, oddly my first like gut reaction was really liking the scenery. Otherwise I hated the costumes at first. The Fairy Tale costumes looks so cheap, like they didn’t have a budget. With the sets and the special effect it’s meant to look sort of cheap, cheap isn’t the right word but still. Over the episode the costumes  grew on me a little to where I didn’t mind them. Also consider this, I just got done re-watching The Tudors, so with costumes I got used to that level of just stunning costume and I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones. Costumes are not the selling point of this show, oddly I like the real word costumes.

I’ll admit I was confused about the goings on of the plot for a while it is pretty much spelled out but it did hold my interest. Now when I say that I mean it as a huge compliment. I have no attention, like zero. The fact that I watch with with out clicking away is impressive. In fact I didn’t realized I was paying attention until my computer screen went black and I thought my computer died on me, I’m paranoid. It turns out was just my screen saver. I’m being serious. I so like the weaving of fairy tale characters in reality angle.

Were there things I didn’t like? Yes. I really don’t like the kid, Henry. He is very annoying and he isn’t written like a child. It’s not just, I do also think the dialogue is awkward. It doesn’t sound all that natural, I mean the acting is fine, it’s the fault of the dialogue. It’s not really enough to make me hate the show outright, it’s a pilot, the writer may not even be used to the characters yet.  I oddly so far like Regina Mills a.k.a the Evil Queen  but I also REALLy dislike her fairy tale costume.

Also the guy who plays Rumplestiltskin, Robert Carlyle, Someone! Cast him as Clopin. OMG, He would make a fantastic Clopin!

Shrek 2  picture image

Shrek 2

Shrek 2 as the name suggests in the sequel to Shrek. In a few ways Shrek 2 feels like a bigger movie, the humor is bigger and the plot has more stakes.

Note- Keeping this one short and not doing the other Shrek movies, I didn’t like 3 and 4 doesn’t exist for me.

Shrek meeting Fiona's parents Shrek 2  picture image

Shrek meeting Fiona’s parents

The plot is that Newlyweds Shrek and Fiona travel to the Kingdom of Far Far Away to met her parents. Fiona’s dad doesn’t takes a liking to Shrek as he has a deal with the Fairy Godmother that Fiona would be saved and married to her son, Prince Charming as the Fairy Godmother help Fiona’s dad become King.

The King hires Puss in Boots, a hit man, cat to axe-off Shrek. However Shrek gets the better of the little kitty and Puss joins him. Shrek gets the idea to go the Fairy Godmother’s factory. Shrek and the gang steal a potion to make people/true love attractive, weird spell. Donkey and Shrek use it which make them and Fiona pretty, or Fiona her old human self, have to wonder what Dragon looked like. Godmother decides that she will try to convince Fiona that Charming is Shrek. Shrek and pals get arrested and the fairy tale pals of Gingy, Pinocchio, the three pigs ect have to save them.

They crash the big ball and defeat the Fairy Godmother but Fiona dad is revealed to really a frog which her mother accepts. Shrek gives Fiona the chance to stay in their pretty forms but she tells Shrek she wants the ogre she married and they revert to ogre and Donkey again. Same moral as the first.

Fairy Godmother and Charming Shrek 2  picture image

Fairy Godmother and Charming

Does this plot have issues? OH, Yes, first off why did Charming have to save her in the first place? If the king wanted to uphold the deal order an arrange marriage, Fiona was smitten with a prince before they met anyway. And what took him so long? Grooming? And is her a Prince or is that just his name. Nitpicks

But the way the humor way done, the pacing and the characters make up for it. Unlike the first Shrek, with movie doesn’t subverts Disney as much the first one, it subverts just pretty much everything while still subverting Fairy Tales as its mission point, and because of that the jokes do not let up. You just laugh more during this movie.

Puss in Boot being cute Shrek 2 picture image

Puss in Boot being cute

Speaking the Characters, the new characters in this movie are fantastic. They all have their ticks that make then fun. First off, the Fairy Godmother is diabolic but I’m bias as I’m a fan of Jennifer Saunders, Ab Fab for the win (though all the voice actors in this movie

are great). But you gotta love that a Fairy Godmother is the villain. Pretty boys as villain isn’t new but Charming is just such as smarmy egomaniac that he is delightful. Puss is great as he uses his cuteness to disarm his victim. While the King and Queen aren’t anything amazing or new they are still likable though I like the beauty and beast/ Frog prince thing they have. But the real character of this movie is Mongo, a Gingerbread Godzilla monster, what could be more awesome?

We also learn more about the other characters, like Pinocchio’s underpants preferences, that one my favorite jokes.

Fairy Godmother singing hero Shrek 2 picture image

Fairy Godmother singing

The animation and music like the first movie are great and you gotta love The Hero segment.

Charming kissing Fiona Shrek 2 picture image

Charming kissing Fiona

Speaking of the climax, compared to the first movie there is a lot more at stake. In the first movie the only stakes is that Fiona will marry some guy that she doesn’t really like that much. In this one if Charming lands a kiss Fiona will be in love with him and not with Shrek as the King was co-forced into slipping her a love potion, which didn’t end up happing but the audience doesn’t really know that until Fiona head butts Charming. But what are the ramifications? In the first one Lord Farquaad was already a ruler and didn’t seem like he was that terrible at it, no one in Duloc seemed to be wanting but Charming would have been a bad king.

Also in the first one aside from one throw away line about locking Fiona in the tower again, Farquaad wasn’t very threatening, Fairy Godmother legit tried to kill Shrek when she learned Fiona wasn’t given the potion.

Donkey with Fiona's parents eating Dinner Shrek 2 picture image

Donkey with Fiona’s parents eating Dinner

Compared to original, Shrek 2 just has more going for it, more likable characters, more plot, more stakes and all around more silliness. And by the way, DONKEY!