The producers swear that when they decided to put a Justin Timberlake poster above Princess Fiona's bed, they had no idea that Cameron Diaz had just started dating the singer in real life. Timberlake was given a role in Shrek the Third (2007).

This was the first sequel ever nominated for an Oscar as Best Animated Feature.

In Fairy Godmother's (Jennifer Saunders') factory, some workers are putting potion bottles on a conveyor belt. One of the bottles is marked "Fiagra" a play on "Viagra".

In the Police montage, the camera following a "white bronco" is a direct reference to the infamous 1994 California highway chase where cops were chasing O.J. Simpson in a white Ford Bronco. Larry King, who cameos as the Ugly Stepsister, originally commentated on the chase. The montage's camerawork and overall appearance resembles the appearance of the television show Cops (1989).

Antonio Banderas also provided the voice of Puss In Boots in the Spanish and Latin American versions of this movie.

Continuity

When Fiona's ring is first made, it is golden. Later, it appears silver, then silver with a blue gem, and finally back to silver.

In the first film, Fiona's clothes never change when she transforms back and forth between human and ogre. At the end of this film just before Shrek and Fiona change back into ogres, she's wearing a white dress. When the change actually takes place, her dress is green.

When Shrek and Fiona transform back to ogres at the end, they are wearing their old clothes.

At dinner with Fiona's parents, Shrek chokes on his spoon and coughs it up. The Spoon then isn't there in the next shot.

When Shrek goes into the Fairy Godmother's factory, she throws a book which lands on the table closed. In the next shot, the book is open.



Factual errors

For the UK, the part of the Ugly Stepsister was re-voiced by talk show host Jonathan Ross. However, the end-credits have not been corrected and still list Larry King in the part.



Incorrectly regarded as goofs

At the end of the film during the ball when the clock begins to strike midnight, the first shot of the clock shows that it is 9:45 not midnight. That shot of the clock is taken from above the clock looking down at the palace entrance steps. Therefore the clock hands are pointing left on the camera shots (appearing to show 0945) though in fact they point straight up, i.e. 12 o'clock.

In the first movie, Gingy's legs were broken off by Lord Farquaad and this movie; both of them have been re-attached with strips of frosting. During the torture scene Lord Farquaad has crushed his left leg into crumbs so it should be gone forever and Gingy should only have one leg, however the Muffin Man could have made replacement legs for him in the interim.



Miscellaneous

When Shrek is caught stealing a potion a number of potions break, however when Fairy Godmother comes back to check on inventory the dove says only one potion is missing.



Anachronisms

Angle grinders are used in a time when electricity hasn't been invented.

While Donkey is complaining about how long the trip to Far Far Away is taking at the beginning of the movie, he mentions there's no in-flight movie. Movies obviously don't exist at the time the film takes place, especially in their universe.



Plot holes

The King and Queen are shocked upon Fiona's arrival, discovering she married an ogre, even though they were the ones who sent the messengers to a SWAMP. On top of this, they should have suspected something when their daughter arrived in a giant onion coach.

In the opening scene, Prince Charming didn't seem surprised to see that there was no dragon guarding the castle like the legend tells. It is weird, since in the previous film we learn that the greatest danger which caused the death of the many knights who attempted to rescue the princess was not the hostile climates in the way to the castle, but the terrible fire-breathing dragon which guards it.

When Shrek transformed into a human his clothes no longer fit him. When Fiona transformed back into a human her clothes fit her just fine.

During the song, People Ain't No Good, Shrek, who was upset that Fiona was in love with Prince Charming, said that he shouldn't have rescued Fiona from the tower. But in the 1st movie, Lord Farquaad was the reason why Shrek rescued her in the first place.

It's never explained why the Happily Ever After potion doesn't work right away.



Character error

The Fairy Godmother asks the piano player to start in C minor, but he goes into G minor as she begins to sing "Holding Out for a Hero". (The original song is in A minor.)

While her parents both speak with British ascents, Fiona doesn't.

When the chefs bring dinner for the family in the banquet hall, Donkey says "Mexican food, my favorite!" However, none of the food that was served can be considered Mexican.