THE English may not have conquered Europe in Portugal, but they are giving Hollywood a run for its money in the beautiful game of movies.

Just look at Shrek 2. It may be made with American money and the exquisite animation is courtesy of Hollywood. And the show may be stolen by a Spaniard (we'll come to that later). But this is a movie in which the English are making themselves heard at last.

One of the most hotly anticipated family films of the year has a dream team of English vocal talent.

There's John Cleese and Julie Andrews as a fairytale king and queen. Rupert Everett is a vain and pouting Prince Charming, while Ab Fab's Jennifer Saunders speaks and even sings a bit as a not very nice fairy godmother.

Listen hard and you'll pick out TV chat show host (and film critic) Jonathan Ross and broadcaster Kate Thornton (but only in the UK versions their parts are voiced by US TV favourites Larry King and Joan Rivers in America).

And Mike Myers, Shrek himself, is half English (his folks are from Liverpool and the Canadian comic honed his particular brand of tomfoolery on our Saturday morning kids' shows).

So there you have it Shrek 2 is a British film.

What, a tad too jingoistic? Well, maybe.

But the British film industry doesn't have a lot to shout about at the moment, and this is not a bad film to lay claim to.

With the success that followed the original film three years ago Shrek was by far the funniest film of 2001 a sequel was bound to be on the Dreamworks studio's "to do" list.

It's not so much that the film company wanted to make a load more money which it obviously does but that the movie-going public wanted its funnybone tickled all over again by this particular brand of gag-after-gag, mildly subversive humour, packaged with gloriously colourful, smooth flowing computer animation.

There had to be a Shrek 2. The questions are: is it any good? And, is it as good as the original? The answers are: yes, and no.

Let's face it, to come up with something so fresh and original, and just so damned funny as Shrek was always going to be a tall order. But Shrek 2 is still hilarious, still great to look at, and comes with a familiarity that audiences will appreciate.

The story picks up more or less where we left it in part one. Jolly green ogre Shrek and the equally pudgy and verdant Princess Fiona (Myers and Diaz) are off on their honeymoon (cue a brief but memorable dig at rival studio Disney with Fiona having a set-to with The Little Mermaid).

Meanwhile, back in fairytale land, Prince Charming charges into the castle where Fiona had been sent years ago by her dad (a curse had turned her into the ogre who wed Shrek; a kiss by a prince would release her from the spell blah blah) only to be told by a wolf in woman's clothing (what else?) that the princess has gone and got married.

Back at Shrek's swamp home, where the couple hook up again with their pal Donkey (Murphy), the newlyweds accept an invitation to go to Far Far Way to spend some time with Fiona's parents (Cleese and Andrews).

But all is not well. The king is not pleased his daughter has married something that looks like it's walked off a tin of sweetcorn, and the fairy godmother, who also happens to be Charming's mum, is concerned that her precious little boy will miss out on the royal wedding that she was promised.

Let's not get too bogged down in the plot from here on.

Curses, counter curses and potions threaten Shrek and Fiona's happiness, but we all know how it's going to end. It's the fun to be had beforehand that really counts.

While many of the wickedly funny fairytale gags are now no longer required, the screenwriters really had to put their thinking caps on to come up with fresh and mirthsome material. It was a tough task, and they have only just got away with it. With the gag rollercoaster requiring 100 per cent attention, many jokes may fly over many people's heads. But at times the soundtrack will be drowned out by the audience's laughter.

The best bit? The one which sees Shrek's pals attempting to rescue him from a dungeon by lowering puppet boy Pinocchio by his strings Mission: Impossible style. When he's a few inches short of his target, what does he do? Lie of course. It's what he lies about that will bring the house down.

Of the new characters, the king and queen are OK, if a little on the bland side. And Saunders' self-serving fairy godmother is scarily effective.

But the the comic masterstroke in this film is the introduction of Puss in Boots, with Antonio Banderas lapping up this role like... well, like a cat that's got the cream, and spitting out his Hispanic sibilants with great relish.

And not only does he get some great lines "That's not mine!" he protests when a search by some men at arms turns up a bag of catnip but this swashbuckling ginger Tom, dressed in big hat, big boots and brandishing a sword, looks so darned cute too.

But then, we English are cat lovers.

OUT! rating: 8 out of 10

Film writer Stephen Webb reviews SHREK 2

Starring the voices of: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Jennifer Saunders, Antonio Banderas

Director: Andrew Adamson and Kelly Asbury

Certificate: U

Running time: 92 mins

Showing from today at: UGC and Cineworld, Swindon