Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Shrek 2 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released the fan favorite 2004 film sequel 'Shrek 2,' directed by the trio or Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon, and featuring the voices of Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and DTS:X audio. No new supplements are included.

Shrek 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Universal's 2160p/HDR UHD release of Shrek 2 offers a fair upgrade to the Blu-ray, certainly not one that could be labeled as "day and night" or "dramatic," but the small gains in clarity and color certainly make this the most visually impactful version of the film yet. To be sure, the core animation is a little on the crude side, especially by today's standards, so there's not a significant sense of visual might at work, but the 2160p resolution does yield pleasing textures within environments and on character skin. Fur and hair still struggle at the source, but the UHD certainly brings out the very best the source has to offer; that's just not a major gain over the Blu-ray.

The HDR grading does not make a major impact on the material, either. That is not to say that the transition here is not of value -- it is -- but that is to say that what transition there is appears more as fine-tuned, pinpoint adjustments rather than sweeping changes or gains to the color spectrum. What is here is very similar to the Blu-ray, especially in lower light. Generally speaking, however, the UHD offers an image that is a little brighter and a little more sophisticated. Colors here appears more elegant and precise, yielding both increases to tonal vividness and stability as well as to depth and fine detail. The green ogre skin is of course one of the major standouts, and it has never looked better in terms of sheer pop and depth. The Blu-ray looks a little flat in comparison. To be sure, most every shot sees some tonal fine-tuning to bring out the most from the inherent color palette, which is very colorful and diverse as it is. The HDR color grading does bring out deeper blacks -- look at the scene in which Puss in Boots is introduced in the 29-minute mark. While the black level add is not dramatic, the sense of finely-tuned elegance makes the slight gain over the Blu-ray valuable.

Shrek 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal's new DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack does not bring any real wholesale changes to the audio presentation, either. There is no barrage of clearly defined overhead content at work, no object-based distinctness and goodness to enjoy, but what this track does is engage with a fuller sense of place and space, using the added surround back and overhead channels to bring music and atmosphere to the stage with a fuller and richer sense of belonging. The track maintains a high level of clarity to music, effects, and dialogue. The sense of musical realism is very satisfying (listen, for example, at the 20-minute mark for an example of the precision orchestral score and at the 47-minute mark for an example of popular music excellence). Spacing here is wonderful, also offering a fine example of how the newly added channels create that larger and fuller sense of engagement in the stage. The subwoofer works to add depth and definition to the music as well, which proves to be a vital component to bringing the audio home in its best ever configuration. The track presents light atmosphere with perfect positioning and clarity, while more intense action scenes present with excellent fidelity, power, and placement. Dialogue, of course, is clear and well prioritized with fine front-center location grounding.

Shrek 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Shrek 2 includes the original Blu-ray, so all of the original extras carry over. The UHD also includes most of the same extras, minus those which are labeled as "Blu-ray Exclusives:" The Animators' Corner and Shrek's Interactive Journey: II. See below for a list of what is included, and please click here for full coverage. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code and an embossed slipcover are included with purchase.

• Spotlight on Puss in Boots
• Secrets of Shrek 2
• Far Far Away Idol
• Music Videos: "Accidentally in Love" by the Counting Crows, "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Puss In Boots, and "I Know It's Today" from Shrek the Musical.
• Audio Commentary: Producer Aron Warner and Editor Mike Andrews.
• Audio Commentary: Directors Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon.

Shrek 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a fine looking and sounding UHD, but it doesn't blow the doors off the format or even blow away the Blu-ray version. The upgrades here are essential, but not substantial. The Blu-ray holds up very well against this, so this is recommended only to serious fans of the film, especially since good money says that these slow drip Shrek UHD releases will eventually be bundled in a box and cost a fair amount less than purchasing separately.