SHREK THE HALLS [2007 / 2008] [DVD] [UK Release]
Shrek’s First Family Festive Christmas!
Shrek style Christmas, as funny as it gets. The Christmas tree isn't the only thing green in this new holiday classic. Shrek is back and trying to get into the spirit of the season. After promising Fiona and the three ogre children a Christmas they'll remember, Shrek is forced to take a crash course in the festive holiday. But just when he thinks he has everything for their quiet family Christmas just right, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Gingy and the rest of the gang decide to crash the party. ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ is the greatest holiday tale that's never been told…until now.
FILM FACT: ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ is an American Christmas computer-animated comedy television special that premiered on the American television network ABC on the 28th November, 2007. This Christmas special takes place between ‘Shrek the Third’ and ‘Shrek Forever After.’ As with the other Shrek animations, this television special was based on the 1990 children's book “Shrek!” by William Steig.
Voice Cast: Shrek [Mike Myers], Donkey [Eddie Murphy], Princess Fiona [Cameron Diaz], Puss in Boots [Antonio Banderas], Townsman [Sean Bishop], Pinocchio / Three Pigs [Cody Cameron], Suzie Cookie [Susan Fitzer], Blind Mice [Christopher Knights], Santa [Gary Trousdale], Gingerbread Man [Conrad Vernon], Wolf [Aron Warner], Bookstore Clerk [Marissa Jaret Winokur], Ogre Baby #1 [Miles Bakshi], Ogre Baby #2 [Nina Zoe Bakshi], Ogre Baby #3 [Dante James], Magarac [Kresimir Mikic] (uncredited) and Shrek [Vedran Mlikota] (uncredited)
Director: Gary Trousdale
Producers: Aron Warner, Gina Shay and Teresa Cheng
Screenplay: William Steig (based upon the book), Bill Riling, Gary Trousdale, Sean Bishop, Bill Riling, Andrew Adamson (based on the characters created) (uncredited), David H. Steinberg (uncredited), Joe Stillman (based on the characters created) (uncredited), Roger S.H. Schulman (based on the characters created) (uncredited), Ted Elliott (based on the characters created) (uncredited) and Terry Rossio (based on the characters created) (uncredited)
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Image Resolution: 1080i (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (Anamorphic)
Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Danish: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Norwegian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Finnish: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Swedish: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 26 minutes
Number of discs: 1
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Andrew’s DVD Review: SHREK THE HALLS [2007] This special is set shortly after the events of ‘Shrek the Third’ and before the events of ‘Shrek Forever After,’ as Shrek and Princess Fiona's children are still infants.
Shrek is quietly living in the swamp with his family when the Christmas season arrives. Under Donkey's urging, Shrek reluctantly promises Princess Fiona a special Christmas surprise. Shrek goes to the local bookstore in Far, Far Away to try to find a present for Fiona, but since he doesn't know what Christmas is all about, the shopkeeper gives Shrek a copy of “Christmas For Village Idiots,” a step-by-step guide to celebrating the holiday. Shrek proceeds to follow the book's advice by decorating the house and getting a tree so he can spend a quiet Christmas Eve with his family, but Donkey brings the entire “family” to the swamp, ruining Shrek's plans.
As Shrek tries to tell his own version of “A Visit from St. Nicholas – The Night Before Christmas” and Gingy, Donkey, and Puss in Boots interrupt and each tell their own version of a Christmas story. Donkey tells of floats coming to the swamp. At the end, Donkey tells of licking an enormous Santa figure that is made out of waffles, but in reality he accidentally starts licking Shrek's leg. Puss tells his version of the story of Santa Claus, but ends up playing with the ball point of his Santa hat, while in reality he is playing with one of the baubles from the Christmas tree. However, Gingy's story is not happy, but horrifying, as he tells about how his girlfriend Suzy got eaten up by Santa Claus. To which Donkey finds it unbelievable, with Gingy screaming “You weren't there!” Donkey finds Shrek's Christmas for Village Idiots book, and the ensuing fight over the book destroys all of Shrek's decorations, furniture and the tree. Shrek then loses his temper and ends up ejecting his friends from the house.
With the Christmas spirit ruined, Fiona and Shrek have a talk, after which she takes the children and leaves the swamp to go and apologize to their friends. Shrek feels downhearted that Christmas Eve didn't go as he hoped it would, and he looks at one of Donkey's Christmas cards that says, From Donkey & family. Fiona catches up to their friends and explains to Donkey what Shrek had wanted for Christmas. Shrek catches up with the group, and apologizes for losing his temper. Donkey is shocked to learn that this is Shrek's first Christmas, because "ogres don't celebrate anything." Donkey also apologizes for being annoying, and explains that Christmas never goes as planned and according to his mother, “Christmas ain't Christmas until somebody cries', and that's usually me.”
After a snowball fight, the friends return to the swamp, and Shrek tells his story, featuring Ogre Claus. Soon they hear bells and go outside to see Santa and his reindeer, although Gingy runs back inside screaming in terror.
SHREK THE HALLS MUSIC TRACK LIST
SUMMER BREEZE (Written by Jim Seals and Dash Crofts) [Performed by Jim Seals and Dash Crofts]
SANTA CLAUSE IS COMIN’ TO TOWN (Written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie [Performed by Eddie Murphy]
O Fortuna from Carmina Burana (Written by Carl Orff) (Parody lyrics by Aron Warner) [Performed by Harry Gregson-Williams]
JINGLE BELLS (Written by James Pierpont) [Performed by Eddie Murphy]
HERE WE COME A-WASSAILING (Written by William Mathias) [Performed by Eddie Murphy]
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (Written by Frederic Austin) (Arranged by David Buckley) [Performed by Harry Gregson-Williams]
BECAUSE WE CAN from Moulin Rouge! (2001) (Written by Fatboy Slim as Norman Cook) [Performed by Fatboy Slim]
CHRISTMAS WRAPPING (Written by Chris Butler) [Performed by The Waitresses]
JINGO (Gin Go La Ba) (Written by Michael Olatunji) [Performed by Santana]
Ride of the Valkyries (Written by Richard Wagner)
GONNA MAKE YOU SWEAT (Everybody Dance Now) (Written by Robert Clivillés and Freedom Williams) [Performed by Carmen Carter]
DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ (Written by Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain) [Performed by Journey]
HELLO MA BABY (Written by Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard)
DECK THE HALLS (Written by Gary Trousdale and Sean Bishop) [Performed by The Fairy Tale Creatures]
Hallelujah Chorus (Written by George Frideric Handel) [Performed by Harry Gregson-Williams and the Waffle Santa Chorus]
CHRISTMAS WRAPPING (Written by Chris Butler) [Performed by The Donnas]
THE STARS SHINE IN THE SKY TONIGHT (Written by Mark Oliver Everett and Jim Lang) [Performed by Eels]
HERE WE COME A-WASSAILING (Written by William Mathias) [Performed by I'm from Barcelona]
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DVD Image Quality – DreamWorks Animation presents us ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ with a very reasonable 1080i image and is shown in the usual 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Although this is a DVD, I was still impressed with the image quality throughout the animated film ‘SHREK THE HALLS.’ There was a distinct lack of the usual noise I find with most DVD’s. The green of Shrek and all the colours throughout the animated video were rich and dynamic. Black levels were solid and there’s a good amount of detail present. Please Note: Playback PAL: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
DVD Audio Quality – DreamWorks Animation brings us brings us ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ with just one standard 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio experience. Dialogue was very clear and consistent and volume did not need to be adjusted. But also with the ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ it had some wonderful festive sounds throughout, and the composed music by Harry Gregson-Williams was especially good throughout the festive animated film of ‘SHREK THE HALLS’
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DVD Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: 12 Days of Christmas Sing Along [2008] [1080i] [1.78:1] [3:56] With this featurette, the you get to sing along with all the DreamWorks animated characters and they include a Penguin, Two Crazy Camels, Three Wrapped Fish, Four Wacky Penguins, Five Peppermints, Six Fossa’s Fussing’s, Seven Lemurs Leaping, Eight Flippers Flapping, Nine Teeth A Champing, Ten Shoppers Shopping, Eleven Higher Mammals and Twelve Zoosters Singing. As an added bonus, you get all the words displayed for the 12 Days of Christmas so you can sing along with this animated featurette and of course all the DreamWorks characters.
Special Feature: Deck the Halls Sing Along [2008] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:34] With this featurette, “it’s time to party,” we again get the words-on-screen for another singalong, dance-style, with the words for Deck the Halls and of course with the DreamWorks characters Penguins from Madagascar, Skipper, Private, and Kowalski.
Special Feature: Gingy's Dunking Game: With this featurette, it is an interactive game where young children can test their “concentration” skills while matching the Gingerbread cookies that come out of the oven on the cookie sheet with the Gingy that is shown on the screen. We are informed ‘tis that festive time of the year when folks yearn to nibble on some tasty Gingerbread Men. What you have to do is save Gingy’s precious gumball buttons by selecting the matching decoys to avoid the Milk – Dink of Doom! So to find out what you have to do to play the fame, you have to carefully compare three Gingy cookies each time the tray comes out of the oven. Spot the right Gingerbread cookie who is very similar to the actual Gingy, You have to use the right and left keys on your Blu-ray and DVD remote control to make the right selection. Press ENTER to select the Gingy’s decoy. So have ago folks and I hope you have a lot of fun, and when you have chosen the right one, and it informs us that you’ve helped Gingy avoid up as a tasty Holiday treat!
Special Feature: Shrek’s Carnival Craze Video Game Demo: With this featurette, you have to insert the DVD into your computer to access this “Shrek’s Carnival Craze Video Game Demo.” So good luck folks with this Video Game and I hope you will enjoy what you view.
Special Feature: DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox: With this featurette, we get to view music videos from some of DreamWorks’ popular animated Blu-ray and DVD feature films, like the ‘Shrek;’ ‘Shrek The Third;’ ‘BEE MOVIE;’ ‘Flushed Away;’ ‘Over The Hedge;’ ‘Madagascar;’ ‘Sharks Tale’ and ‘Shrek 2.’ To view each music video, you have this panel where you have the use of left and right arrows in the panel to select the actual music video you want to view and you have to use the ENTER button on your remote control when you see the red arrow visible, press your ENTER button and the music video you have selected will appear.
Special Feature: Trailer: ‘Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa’ [2008] [1080i] [1.78:1] [1:41] With this featurette, we get to view the trailer for ‘Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa.’
Special Feature: Trailer: ‘Kung Fu Panda’ [2008] [1080i] [1.43:1] [2:02] With this featurette, we get to view the trailer for ‘Kung Fu Panda.’
Special Feature: Trailer: ‘BEE MOVIE’ [2008] [1080i] [1.78:1] [1:38] With this featurette, we get to view the trailer for ‘BEE MOVIE.’
Special Feature: Trailer: ‘Shrek The Third’ [2008] [1080i] [1.78:1] [1:22] With this featurette, we get to view the trailer for ‘Shrek The Third’
Finally, ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ [2007] is amazing animation that is up to feature film standards and looks really good. If you already love the Shrek series, you'll probably love this one. ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ might actually become a modern classic. With Shrek’s popularity continuing and I imagine that this series will air for a number of years, because ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ is enjoyable enough to be recommend. It's got the traditional Christmas message and plenty of gags to keep the young children and their parents entertained. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
