The Empire Strikes Back, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and The Rescuers Down Under are all examples of this approach working well - and now we can add Shrek 2 to that list. This approach is harder to get right, but when things come together the results regularly outclass their predecessors. On the other hand, the film can attempt to tell a new story, with the characters undergoing a new challenge and more characteristics of their universe being revealed.

Occasionally this approach works wonders - as on Evil Dead 2 - but often it results in tired, formulaic offerings, such as the many straight-to-video sequels produced by Disney. On the one hand, the film can repeat all the basic rhythms of the first film, either with the main character being replaced (so that the journey appears to be new) or by the stakes being raised (so that it feels like the action is more significant). Making a sequel to any film can go one of two ways, depending on the attitude of the people behind it and the potential present in the characters. But the film is every bit as funny as the first one, if not slightly moreso, and continues to develop and deepen its unique fairytale world. The film may not be quite as edgy as its predecessor, perhaps due to Dreamworks head honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg wanting to play it safe to secure further outings. and then Finding Nemo, you would have been within your rights to doubt that any sequel could compete.įortunately, Shrek 2 is a great second outing, thanks in part to the continued presence of Andrew Adamson behind the camera, as a co-writer now as well as co-director.

But with the continued success of PIXAR, first with Monsters, Inc. The first film was a huge hit, taking more than eight times its budget at the box office and winning over critics and audiences alike with its intelligent storytelling and witty script. Making a sequel to Shrek was both a complete no-brainer and a cause for great concern.

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