Director: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon
Year Released: 2004
Rating: 2.0
I went in expecting the worst, and what I got was relatively painless: it's like a cartoon Saturday Night Live, taking light pot shots at celebrities ('Sir' Timberlake) and movies (Lord of the Rings gets some attention, but the film references are as plentiful as anything Tarantino's made) and not forgetting about potty humor (hot tub flatulence from Austin Powers) or innuendo (Pinocchio's thong fetish). It's very 'of the moment' and probably disposable after a few years when the figures being mocked will be long forgotten - the plot, what there is of it, is weaker than the margaritas they serve at TGI Friday's (why do I eat there, again?). The little moments made it an improvement over the original (for me): I never thought I'd say it, but Antonio Banderas' Puss-In-Boots is a great character - its purring and giant anime eyes are a distraction from the swordsmanship and biting - who steals the show, and when he's not stealing the show, co-director Conrad Vernon's Gingerbread Man (and Gingerbread Man's ... um, larger version) does the trick (or, when it's not him, it's Jennifer Saunders, sober and perfectly cast as the Fairy Godmother). Those bits still aren't enough to recommend it - there's still a glut of sentimentality and more than a few dead jokes - but kids should enjoy it.
