Shrek 2: I don’t usually give enough thought to coming attractions to actually look forward to the release of a new movie, but I’d been waiting for this one for months. I was not disappointed. While perhaps not as good as the first one (which was a triumph to the point of making the overuse of that word truly shameful), it had more than its fair share of laughs. The original cast returned with some new additions and, gorgeous CG animation aside, this movie would not have made it without them.

In this film, the newlyweds Shrek and Fiona visit Fiona’s (human) parents in the Kingdom of Far Far Away, who are unaware of Fiona’s transformation into an ogre. They are, needless to say, a tad disappointed. Enter the scheming Fairy Godmother (brilliantly voiced by Jennifer Saunders of Ab Fab fame) who wants Fiona to marry her Abercrombie-model-esque son, Prince Charming. Throw in a couple of magic potions and Puss in Boots, the assassin with the heart of gold (Antonio Banderas, who is surprisingly funny), and you’ve got mass hysteria…and hilarity. My favorite part: Puss’s cute kitty stare. I still smile just thinking about it.