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Alan Silverman
The rotund green ogre and his fairy tale character sidekicks are back for another comical computer-animated adventure: a sequel to the Oscar-winning 2001 box office champion. Alan Silverman has a look at Shek 2.
When we last left Shrek and Fiona, their love had overcome all the obstacles and they were on their way to living happily ever after as ogres in Shrek's swamp. However, Shrek knows the honeymoon is over when they travel to the kingdom of Far, Far Away to meet her mom and dad: the in-laws.
Once again, the path to happily ever after is strewn with misadventures and reinterpreted fairy tale favorites.
In the English-language version, Spanish-born Antonio Banderas does the voice of the swashbuckling Puss in Boots as a comic riff on his live-action Zorro.
"Most of the characters that appear in the movie are international characters. In Spain, Puss in Boots is called 'El Gato con Botas;'" explains Banderas, "but many of the fairy tale characters are characters that I grew up with.
The word that defines Shrek for me is a very beautiful word in English that doesn't actually exist in Spanish: it is wit," he continues. "I think that is what the movie is all about; but after the humor, I think there are a couple of messages that I think are very important. One is the message of friendship with two characters that are opposite in personalities. Donkey is kind of annoying sometimes, but they relate to each other and love each other, respecting each other's faults and defects. There is a beautiful story about friendship."
For the English version, English-born actors John Cleese and Julie Andrews voice Fiona's parents, the king and queen of Far, Far Away which is actually a juicy send-up of Beverly Hills and its Hollywood elite. No stranger to children's entertainment, Andrews says she nevertheless found the voice acting for Shrek 2 surprisingly challenging.
"You have no idea in animation whether you are on the right track, really: am I reacting too strongly? am I over the top? am I real enough or should I be more animated . . . more cartoon-like in my delivery? You just don't know and so they ask for a lot of things because I think, sometimes, they are not sure until it's all put together which take they will use. It's a whole new experience and I was very interested in it and I liked it," she says.
Shrek 2 features a new song by the rock band Counting Crows, written for the film by lead singer Adam Duritz.
注释：
obstacle [5CbstEkl] n. 障碍，障碍物
ever after 从此以后一直
ogres [5Eu^E] n. （民间传说中的）食人魔鬼，怪物
swamp [swRmp] n. 沼泽，森林沼泽
in-laws姻亲，亲家
strew [stru:] vt. 充满，撒满
misadventure [5misEd5ventFE] n. 运气不佳的遭遇
reinterpreted [7riin5tE:prit] vt. 重新讲述
do the voice of 配音
swashbuckling [5swCF7bQkliN] adj. 恃强凌弱的，虚张声势的
Puss in Boots 穿长靴的猫
riff [rif] n. 即兴段
live-action [laiv5AkFEn] （影片）直接从大自然或以真人表演摄制的
Zorro n. 佐罗
wit [wit] n. 机灵，机智
defect [di5fekt] n. 缺点，不足
voice [vCis] v. 配音
juicy [5dVu:si] adj. 有趣的
send-up n. n. 滑稽可笑的模仿，戏谑
Beverly Hills 美国加州贝弗利山庄
elite [eI5li:t] n. 精英，精华
nevertheless [nevETE5les] adv. 仍然，
animation [7Ani5meiFEn] n. 动画片（制作），卡通
on the right track 想得对，做得对
feature [5fi:tFE] n. 以……为特色
rock band 摇滚乐团
Counting Crows 数乌鸦合唱团 |