| Users | 5.0 | |
| Reviewer | 3.5 | |
| Overall | 3.9 |
The Blu-ray 3D Collection of Shrek
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1
Chinese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dutch: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Blu-ray 3D
Region B, A (C untested)
| Movie | 4.0 | |
| Video | 4.5 | |
| Audio | 4.5 | |
| Extras | 0.0 | |
| Overall | 3.5 |
It might not be easy being green, but it sure is profitable. Shrek and its three sequels made more than a fair chunk of change at the box office and additional untold millions of dollars more in home video sales and merchandising, but not by sheer luck. Shrek is a magically timeless series that emphasizes good, wholesome values, even through a plethora of generally kid-friendly but subtly adult humor and dark plot structures that incorporate Fairy Tale cliché to unbelievably unique and effective results. Shrek turns the classic Fairy Tale on its head by crafting a series that emphasizes the "Happily Ever After" finale but gets there through humor and oftentimes dark and perilous adventure, and with a hero and heroine who are decidedly untraditional in both appearance and attitude. The slovenly and anti-social Shrek and his fair Bride, the chubby green ogre Fiona, represent a new take on the classically beautiful Fairy Tale heroes and heroines, allowing the stories to more easily but without much additional pomp and circumstance celebrate the true meaning of love and the joys of the Happily Ever After ending by emphasizing that true beauty is not merely skin deep. The series also emphasizes the role of fate, the importance of friendship, and the joys of family, all while providing great stories, creating wonderful side characters, making fine use of popular music and orchestral score, and always remaining on the cutting edge of computer animation. Shrek is a series that's hard to beat, and best of all, the four-film saga that began in 2001 with Shrek and that ended in 2010 with Shrek Forever After (not included in this set, but available via mail-in or online voucher) tells a linear and straightforward story that builds upon itself but ultimately comes full circle to brilliantly emphasize the most basic tenants of true love and happiness.




Shrek
Rating: 4/5
Shrek's Blu-ray 3D debut fares very well, and DreamWorks' transfer is practically identical to the 2D U.S. release, save for the whole added dimension thing. Indeed,
Shrek's UK 3D presentation sports the same lively palette and same wonderful detailing, the image hamstrung, more or less, only by the
limitations of the technology circa 2001 that was used in creating the movie. Shrek's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed 3D transfer exhibits fine
detailing across the board; Shrek's trademark tattered off-white shirt shows off every digital stitch, the gingerbread man character reveals some
incredibly lifelike cookie textures, and environments -- particularly elements in the foreground -- show off a good level of perceptible detailing. Colors
are stable, too, even through the 3D filter; the brightly-colored pages of the book that opens the movie and partially sets the thematic tone for the
series holds up incredibly well, with all the reds and blues appearing as strongly here as in the 2D version. Blacks are maybe just a slight bit more
murky in 3D, and the transfer still exhibits the same light shimmering and the few jagged edges that were present in the 2D-only transfer. In all of
the
general attributes shared amongst the 2D and 3D releases, Shrek's 3D transfer appears mostly identical to the 2D release.
Fortunately, the 3D elements are up to the challenge of bringing Shrek to a whole new dimension of fun. Most every scene sports a fair
amount of depth; Shrek's 3D presentation isn't going to redefine the way people look at Blu-ray 3D, but the transfer does everything right
and the results are good-to-great, with most of the movie leaning towards the "great" end of the spectrum. As is true with any good 3D transfer,
Shrek's best attribute is its seamlessness. There's nothing gimmicky here and no one scenes stands out as particularly forced or made to look
3D for the sake of 3D; it's like a soundtrack that naturally extends the limitations of the soundstage and creates a viable, realistic atmosphere without
forcing sounds into the back speakers just for the sake of tossing information in that direction. Shrek is a respectful, honest 3D transfer that
enjoys good depth of field throughout. The characters feature real shape and volume, and while some environments still look a little flat and several
edges appear overly soft, one has to look pretty hard to find a major fault with DreamWorks' 3D transfer. There are a few double images to be seen --
a character's head seems to have a ghostly shadow in one scene, the edge of a building appears partially transparent in another -- but such anomalies
appear far and few between when the disc is played back on Panasonic's first-generation 3D hardware. Shrek isn't going to wow viewers as
much as it is going to satisfy them; this isn't a "demo" quality 3D disc, but fans will be hard pressed to find much fault with it.
Shrek 2
Rating: 4.5/5
As with its predecessor, Shrek 2's transfer is virtually transparent when it comes to comparing it with the 2D-only release and subtracting the
3D elements from the equation. This transfer features some wonderful detailing that one-ups Shrek in every regard, with the image again
reflective of the quality of the technology used to create the film. It's a bit more seamless and the image holds up with all the added details and
extended clarity to be found throughout. Whether the way the transfer reveals every scratch and dent on Prince Charming's armor, the textures of
the buildings in the Kingdom of Far, Far Away, or the intricacies that give Puss in Boots' nose a seamlessly realistic appearance, there's nothing too big
or too small for this transfer to handle, and DreamWorks' 1080p presentation delivers everything with near perfect clarity. The image is shaper with
far fewer soft edges, and
definition is improved at distance. Colors are wonderfully vibrant throughout, with every hue a sparkling work of art and each one well-balanced in
every lighting condition. Unfortunately, black crush remains an issue on the 3D transfer, but otherwise, this one's borderline exceptional.
Shrek 2's 3D imagery is a bit more seamless than that of its predecessor. Depth is greater and more natural as the transfer reveals sharper
details on background objects and does a better job of creating just the right sense of spacing between objects both near and far. Environments,
characters,
and objects alike all look fantastic in 3D. Mundane objects like Little Red Riding Hood's picnic basket and the rotund bottle of "Happily Ever After"
potion Shrek steals from the Fairy Godmother halfway through the film both take on a definite shape and volume that gives them an almost tangible
and very realistic look. Characters, too, seem to occupy space in a most natural manner, while their environments -- whether inside Shrek's cozy
home in the swamp; the vastness of the forest where Donkey and Shrek meet Puss in Boots; or the sprawling cityscape shots of the Kingdom of Far,
Far Away with its close-up and distant buildings, long streets, and all the little doodads around town like a mechanical billboard promoting the Fairy
Godmother -- all take on a perceptible depth that's vastly superior to anything seen in Shrek and certainly representative of some of the best
3D imagery yet on Blu-ray. "Ghosting" isn't much of an issue; it's visible here and there -- notably on distant shots of the "onion" carriage the
characters take to the Kingdom -- but viewers watching on Panasonic's hardware, at least, won't notice much. Overall, this is an excellent 3D transfer
from DreamWorks.
Shrek the Third
Rating: 4.5/5
Shrek the Third's transfer isn't all that different from what's offered in Shrek 2. DreamWorks' 1080p Blu-ray 3D transfer features
excellent detailing throughout; whether all the regal garb and the fancy bedsheets and furnishings seen around the happy couple's living quarters in
the castle, character and clothes textures, the scaly reptillian skin of King Harold's body, the stone façades of the buildings at Worcestershire, or the
texture of chain mail armor, every nuance is handled to 1080p perfection. As with the other films, colors here are beautifully rendered, with vibrant
hues and the many earth tones seen throughout both appearing in the natural and without any fading or over-saturation. Blacks aren't quite as
overpowering, and the image is perfectly sharp throughout. Best of all, banding is kept to a minimum, and other no-nos, like aliasing, are absent. Of
the three films in this collection, Shrek the Third is the most visually refined, and this Blu-ray captures every nuance to digital perfection.
No surprise, Shrek the Third's 3D attributes are quite good, and the image is the equal of the strong effort that was Shrek 2. Depth
is fantastic all around, whether the digital camera is aimed at a wide, scenic landscape or positioned so as to offer a cramped close-up shot of
characters packed into the frame. Most every shot brings a very strong sensation that the world of Shrek is a real, tangible place, where
space is infinite and everything in each frame is allowed the breathing room required to make for a seamlessly real-in-appearance digital environment.
Spacing is excellent; check out the sequence in chapter eight that features Shrek and Arthur speaking on the ship as its sails away from
Worcestershire; not only does the boat seem to have a real amount of space to it, but the land mass behind the ship seems at a great distance away
rather than appearing as a blob on one part of the frame. The 3D elements work almost perfectly in every scene, and there's very little in the way of
"ghosting" with this one, too. Shrek the Third's 1080p Blu-ray 3D transfer isn't leaps and bounds better than its predecessors -- particularly
Shrek 2 -- but it's the best of the bunch primarily for the slight boost in detail that's a result of the greater budget and better technology
utilized in crafting the picture in the digital realm. Fans
should be very pleased with this Blu-ray 3D effort.

Thanfully, DreamWorks' UK Blu-ray 3D release of Shrek, Shrek 2, and Shrek the Third feature the same wonderful 7.1
lossless soundtracks that accompany the films in the U.S. box set.
Shrek
Rating: 4.5/5
DreamWorks unleashes Shrek onto Blu-ray with a positively stunning Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Those two additional channels
bring
greater dimension and clarity to the proceedings, effectively creating an immersive and wonderfully satisfying 360-degree sound field that's the
ultimate compliment to the film. The various popular music tunes sound fantastic -- from Smash Mouth's "All Star" to Donkey's version of "I'm a
Believer" -- and play with a power, clarity, and spacing reserved for the best of the best lossless presentations. Indeed, music spreads across the front
with a fair back channel support element and a kicking but tight and perfectly-realized low end; these tunes have never sounded better. The 7.1
configuration also aids in recreating the various environmental nuances heard throughout the movie; whether nighttime buzzing insects or chirping
birds during the day, listeners will often feel immersed into the world of Shrek thanks to a nuanced but highly effective support structure.
Even better, more potent effects sound fantastic, and the bigger of them seem to widen the soundstage to practically hurtle the audience into
the perils and pitfalls of the journey. Supported by seamless and center-focused dialogue reproduction, Shrek has never sounded better at
home.
Shrek 2
Rating: 4.5/5
Copying and pasting the Shrek audio review would suffice here. DreamWorks' Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a full and
wonderfully immersive sonic experience that effortlessly transports listeners to the Kingdom of Far, Far Away. There's no wait time, no "are we there
yet?" nagging; this track offers instant sonic gratification and never relents until the movie ends and the disc returns to the main menu screen. Once
again, both popular music and sound effects alike spring to life through a rich and full-bodied presentation that works all seven speakers extensively,
while the subwoofer chimes in to offer some tight and potent supportive elements that nicely round out the track and give it the heft it needs to stand
out from tinier and less well-defined lossless soundtracks. Whether the slightest atmospheric elements or the most potent action sound effects,
Shrek 2 delivers a continuous stream of sonic goodness by recreating every effect big, small, and in between with equal amounts of precision
and ease. All of it is built around center-focused dialogue reproduction that plays with nary an audible hiccup from beginning to end. This is one
soundtrack that will definitely leave listeners Happily Ever After!
Shrek the Third
Rating: 4.5/5
Yes indeed, Shrek the Third sounds great on Blu-ray. DreamWorks' Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack dazzles with another wholly
immersive experience that's so well balanced that everything from the subtlest of environmental nuances to the most dazzling of the biggest sound
effects all pull the audience into the excitement of Shrek the Third with an effortlessness that must be heard to be believed. No, this isn't the
most dynamic track out there; bass isn't quite as aggressive and music isn't quite as natural as what's found on the cream of the crop lossless
soundtracks, but this one resides just a notch below. It's the same old story, really. The track's prowess extends to both ends of the spectrum and
covers everything in between with equal amounts of precision and fun. Listeners will feel like a part of the unruly crowd during a raucous barroom
brawl in chapter four or as one of the audience members bemoaning another subpar stage performance from the disgraced Prince Charming at film's
open.
Atmospherics -- notably the dripping rain and booming thunder heard during the King's funeral in chapter three -- proves extraordinarily satisfying and
real, while the subtlety of gently rolling waters brushing up against the hull of a wooden vessel in chapter eight will make the audience feel like they're
on the ship's deck. Bass is seamlessly integrated into the track, too, as evidenced by a stampeding herd of imaginary baby ogres in chapter five.
Music once again enjoys excellent spacing and clarity across the front, while dialogue never misses a beat as it flows from the center speaker. It's just
another day at the office with this one.

Aside from a paper voucher informing English and Irish customers how they can receive Shrek Forever After on Blu-ray 3D, nothing is included.

The Shrek family of films represent digitally-animated cinema at its finest. They might not have the thematic depth of the better Pixar movies, but the films merrily go about their way in reinventing the classic Fairy Tale by populating it with classic secondary and tertiary characters and building heroes who are anything but storybook conventional. The films are soft and cuddly and boast a wonderfully large and tender heart while also packing in plenty of humor that manages to stay fresh for the entirety of the series. The films are perfectly fine for children -- teaching themes on the importance of staying true to oneself and the purpose and power of true love -- while also building a plot, characters, humor, and honesty that will all appeal to the adults in the audience, too. DreamWorks' UK Blu-ray 3D release of the Shrek films are billed as "complete," but where the fourth disc should be inside the case is instead a circular card requiring buyers to request the fourth film from a fulfillment center. As if exclusive 3D releases weren't bad enough, studios seem to now be requiring 3D owners to jump through even more hoops to get their discs; indeed, this release is anything but "complete" out of the box. Watch out for that pesky fine print. Fortunately, the 3D transfers for the first three films all rate as "excellent" or better, and there's no reason to think that Shrek Forever After won't best them all. DreamWorks' has smartly carried over the wonderful 7.1 soundtracks that are the perfect companions to the 3D transfers. Unfortunately, no extras are included, but that's as-expected of these exclusive bundle releases. Hopefully all four Shrek films will be available to all at some point in the near future, and with all four films in the box at time of receipt and packed with the same -- or even more -- extras found in the superb U.S. box set.