The large green monster with the serious attitude problem is back … and, thankfully, it’s not the Hulk.

Three years after the original “Shrek” raked in $270 million at the box-office and won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, the inevitable sequel has materialized. In the grand scheme of things, “Shrek 2” is an unneeded commodity. But the movie proves entertaining and refreshingly silly.

It’s this zany juxtaposition of pop-culture references and storybook imagery that gives the animated film its identity. Where else could characters such as Pinocchio, the Three Blind Mice and the Gingerbread Man comfortably work around in-joke parodies of “Mission: Impossible,” “Cops,” “Seinfeld,” Justin Timberlake and all things Hollywood?

“Shrek 2” begins with the surly ogre (voiced with far less of a Scottish accent this time by Mike Myers) and his princess bride Fiona (Cameron Diaz) enjoying a fairy-tale honeymoon. When Fiona’s parents summon her to their kingdom, she agrees to return, despite the fact that they know nothing of her being “cursed with a frightful enchantment.” She still looks like a female version of Shrek, while they are expecting her to look like … well, Cameron Diaz.

Joined by their annoying talking Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek and Fiona venture to the land of Far Far Away. The King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) are less than comfortable with this familial homecoming, so the monarch sets in motion a series of events to break up the happy couple and replace Shrek with the vain Prince Charming (Rupert Everett).

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While some of the novelty has inescapably worn off, “Shrek 2” tries hard to keep the story compelling. The plot seems like a logical extension of the first film rather than a rehash. A new batch of characters really adds flavor, especially the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), who has turned her skill with potions and charms into a corporate empire like a medieval Martha Stewart. And she is equally as aloof and malicious.

Also quite funny is Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), who is part mercenary/part Latin lover. But he is all cat, as in a riotous gag where the furry fellow must excuse himself from a crucial battle to cough up a hair ball.

The movie is certainly wonderful to look at. “Shrek 2” doesn’t have the groundbreaking quality of Pixar projects such as “Finding Nemo,” yet it’s vivid and crisp, especially when it comes to rendering human characters. (The more visually crude first “Shrek” was populated by citizens who appeared to be composed of Play-Doh caked on wire frames.)

The ogre Shrek, left (voiced by Mike Myers), and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) enjoy their honeymoon in Shrek

But it’s also the sheer amount of details that give the picture its sassiness. “Shrek 2” approaches the level of “The Simpsons” in that so many jokes are embedded into the background that they are often missed upon an initial viewing. One such example comes during a battle scene in the city’s downtown when a citizen is hurled from a coffee shop named Farbucks across to the Farbucks located on the other side of the street.

At times these pop-culture anomalies are a bit smothering. There is a fine line between name-dropping a product or TV show for laughs and genuinely writing something that is funny on its own merit.

The nadir of these moments comes during an all-cast musical finale set to the overused strains of Ricky Martin’s “Mi Vida Loca.”

Speaking of coughing up a hairball.