Following in the footsteps of the original
Shrek soundtrack,
Shrek 2 emphasizes the crossover potential of the movie and its music. Unfortunately, though, the album doesn't have as many surprises as its predecessor; none of the songs here have the same left-field feel as
Rufus Wainwright's version of "Hallelujah" (or the
John Cale version that actually appeared in the film), although
Tom Waits' mischievous, middle-of-the-night "Little Drop of Poison" and
Nick Cave's dignified ballad "People Ain't No Good" come close. On the other hand,
Shrek 2 doesn't include anything as obnoxious or omnipresent as
Smash Mouth's "All Star" or "I'm a Believer," although it does feature of plenty of covers, including
Frou Frou's odd techo-pop revision of
Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero," which turns the song from a fun if overblown AOR anthem into a chilly yet slick lament.
Butterfly Boucher's "Changes" and
Pete Yorn's "Ever Fallen in Love," meanwhile, have the dubious distinction of being average renditions of great songs; not even
David Bowie's cameo on "Changes" can elevate it (although his duet with
Mick Jagger on "Dancin' in the Streets" remains his worst collaboration). And while
Eddie Murphy and
Antonio Banderas' version of "Livin' la Vida Loca" isn't as thorough a deconstruction of a
Ricky Martin song as
William Hung's infamous "She Bangs" (or as funny -- albeit unintentionally so -- as his own single "Party All the Time"), it is a dose of silly fun on a soundtrack that is sorely lacking that quality.
Jennifer Saunders' "Fairy Godmother Song" -- which sounds like her Absolutely Fabulous character making up words to the Cinderella classic "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" -- and "Believe"-esque version of "Holding Out for a Hero" also liven up the soundtrack a bit. However, most of
Shrek 2 features mopey love songs like
Dashboard Confessional's "As Lovers Go [Ron Fair Remix],"
the Eels' "I Need Some Sleep," and
Rich Price's "I'm on My Way"; they reflect the film's romantic misadventures between Shrek and Princess Fiona, but these songs don't make the soundtrack an especially fun listen, particularly considering that the movie is, ostensibly, first and foremost aimed at kids. But
Counting Crows' "Accidentally in Love" -- which sounds like a cross between one of their old hits and
the BoDeans' "Closer to Free" -- and
Joseph Arthur's "You're So True" are aimed at those kids' older siblings and parents, making
Shrek 2 a lukewarm compromise that isn't likely to satisfy either audience. ~ Heather Phares