With each Shrek film, the creators have their fun playing with Mother Goose rhymes, the Brother Grime’s tales and even modern movies like the Matrix to tell their playful stories. There’s one thing these movies are very good at and that is finding a spin to the familiar tales and the results are fairy tale magic. Although they are perfect for the whole family, much like the old Looney Tunes cartoons, that are full of adult humor and themes that will surely go over the younger viewers head.
The Shrek films all center around an unlikely hero who lives in a swamp and just happens to be an Ogre. Shrek which apparently means fear and terror in German and Yiddish, is in appearance a big green scary monster. Along with Shrek we have his wife Fiona, a donkey named, well Donkey, Puss in Boots along with a slew of other familiar characters through the course of the three films.
But of course for any animation to come to life, it lies heavily on the voice talent to breathe life into the animated characters. Who could imagine these movies without Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and the list goes on and on. With each film they have continued to add an impressive collection of celebrities to voice characters like Merlin, Snow White or even King Arthur. There’s seems to be a long line to get an opportunity to be apart of the magical world of Shrek.
Shrek The Third hit the theaters over the summer and has finally arrived on DVD with a ton of special features to keep us adults and the kids in us all busy. First off the movie looks amazing even in it’s normal DVD version. They have pushed the envelope in CGI with each installment of the series. Along with the look, the Shrek films have always had a great soundtrack and this one is no exception. Whether it’s Fergie covering Heart’s “Barracuda” to even the Wings classic “Live and Let Die,” the sound is phenomenal.
Some of the extras on this DVD are just silly but overall it is enough to keep you busy and even educate you a little bit on the whole process. There’s the “Worcestershire Academy Yearbook” that is an interactive feature that delivers more background on some of the characters that were at Artie’s high school. It gets old pretty quick but the idea is there and if you put in the time its fun.
The “Lost Scenes” are surprisingly more enjoyable than I anticipated due largely to the animators selling the story ideas. These are three different ideas that never even made it into production. You get to see the artists sell their ideas through b&w storyboards and their vocal deliveries. It works and is one of the highlights of the extras.
“Meet the Cast” and the “Tech of Shrek” are descent but brief behind the scene featurettes that is short on information but is still worth checking out.
Throwaways are the “Learn to Donkey Dance” feature that is too short and pointless and the “Big Green Goofs” that at times look like they were created just so they could be included here.
The films do seem like they are starting to run out of original ideas but what can I say, I love these Shrek films. I’ve watched this one now three times and parts make me laugh every single time. Shrek The Third is a descent installment to a great franchise. So pick up the DVD and be ready there are already two more films in the works.
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