It's a pleasant surprise when a Hollywood sequel actually rivals the artistic success of its inspiration, but that's exactly what Dreamworks' second computer animated skewering of the classic fairy tale canon does with consistent wit and charm. It boasts a vibrant song-score (Harry Gregson-Williams' slyly humorous orchestral soundtrack is also available) to match, one that bristles with even more eclectic pop energy than the original, if not quite as many left-field surprises. There are takes on love with a contemporary edge from Eels and Dashboard Confessional, as well as more traditional romantic ballads from Joseph Arthur and Counting Crows, while veterans Tom Waits and Nick Cave offer up slices of their own typically moody melancholia. Covers of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" (in a dry techno revamp by Frou Frou) and Bowie's "Changes" (with a cameo by the author himself lighting up an otherwise mundane version) are also featured, though neither reaches the loopy orbit of Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy trashing Ricky Martin's kitsch-iconic "La Vida Loca." --Jerry McCulley
