Shrek and Princess Fiona return from their honeymoon to find an invitation to a celebration ball from Fiona’s parents, King Harold and Queen Lillian. Along with Donkey, they travel to Far Far Away, but once there Fiona’s father schemes to set her up with Prince Charming instead...

Like Toy Story 2, fans approach Shrek 2 with a mix of excitement for a new movie in the series and fear that it won’t live up to the high standards of the first outing. And just like Toy Story 2, the excitement is rewarded and the fear is washed away, as fans are greeted with a sequel that is as good as the original.

Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona) and Eddie Murphy (Donkey) all reprise their roles, putting in enjoyable voice performances. Shrek newcomer Antonio Banderas almost steals the show as the suave (and adorable) Puss in Boots. The film also continues the trend of working on many levels - with plenty of referential jokes for all ages, with homages to everything from the Lord Of The Rings to Ghostbusters.

DreamWorks hasn’t sat back on its laurels in terms of animation, with the latest advances used to make the characters and surroundings as real as possible, right down to elements such as hair, clouds, snow and fire. This attention to detail is essential because there are more human characters in this movie than the first.

The original Shrek DVD release was renowned for its extras, and the two-disc version of SHrek 2 doesn’t disappoint. As well as commentaries by directors Conrad Vernon and Kelly Asbury (where you can feel the agonizing decision that went into every joke); and producer Aron Warner and editor Mike Andrews, there are meet the cast features. But the star of the show is Far Far Away Idol, with an animated Simon Cowell and songs from the main players, including Pinocchio singing 'Mr Roboto' and Puss in Boots performing 'These Boots Were Made for Walking'. Other features on the technology and music of the movie, a how to burp guide, editions of the Far Far Away newspaper, as well as some unusually unfunny technical bloopers, round out the package.

VERDICT: 8/10

Buy Shrek 2 on DVD at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com