Features:It

YOUTH CORRESPONDENT

Name of movie: "Shrek 2"

Stars of movie: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas

Overall rating: See it today.

What it's about? "Shrek 2" picks up where the original left off, after Shrek and Fiona's marriage. When they return home from their honeymoon--to their oh-so-humble swamp--they're greeted by a royal ensemble of messengers sent with an invitation to visit Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away.

However, the royals are in for a bit of a shock when they discover that Prince Charming (who looks and acts remarkably similar to Great Britain's David Beckham) was a little late in saving Fiona from her dragon-guarded tower in movie No. 1--and she instead married an ogre.

Charming's mother, aka Fairy Godmother, is particularly displeased. She resorts to foul play in order to ensure that Fiona's fairy-tale ending is just that--a fairy tale, complete with a Prince Charming and absolutely ogre-less.

Does it deserve its rating? While "Shrek 2" is pretty tame, it does deserve its PG rating. In one scene, Shrek, Donkey and newcomer Puss-in-Boots are cornered by a rifle-bearing SWAT team and thrown into the back of a truck.

No one is hurt, but there's a lot of yelling and chaotic camera motion that may upset or confuse the youngest viewers.

Top performer? Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas both shine as "Donkey" and "Puss," respectively. Murphy again does an awesome job, giving Donkey the spunk and personality that make his character so darn entertaining.

Banderas, new to the fairy tale, is perfect for the part of Puss, a suave and slick Spanish feline. At times both he and Murphy almost seem to upstage Myers--although Banderas' incredibly sexy accent may have a little something to do with that

Afterthoughts "Shrek 2" is way better than the first. It's funnier, more entertaining for every age group, and the plot isn't as forced.

There's plenty of action, and it has a smooth flow that the original lacked.

Don't leave the theater until AFTER all the creditsthere's one last, final scene that isn't shown until then. Enjoy!

KELLY FARRELL is a sophomore at Colonial Forge High School.