Shrek is BAAAACK!!! (HD-DVD)

Shrek and Fiona, along with the rest of the crew, are back in the third installment of the Shrek series, in HD-DVD format here, with a healthy serving of high-definition (including web-enabled) extras, as well as the usual DVD goodies. The picture is "reference quality," and will blow you away. "Freaky" comes to mind when viewing Snow White's lithe form ultra-realistically dancing through the forest, and "extreme detail" is involuntarily invoked, when viewing the fuzz on Shrek's mane, or the 3-dimensional depth-of-field. This is an excellent, digital-to-digital HD-DVD transfer. The sound is very good, as well, presented in Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 format.

The story begins with Shrek and Fiona filling in for the King and Queen, while they are away on "business." Shrek is having predictable trouble adjusting to castle life, and has a "hankering" to get back to the swamp. True-to-form, Fiona tries to assuage the situation, and the cat-and-donkey crew are just going along with the flow, enjoying their fringe benefits. Trouble brews, however, when Fiona's dad begins to "croak" (sorry), and selects Shrek to take his place, as king. Unfortunately, Shrek rejects this honor, after much pleading, and King Dad selects "Arthur" (voiced by none other than Justin Timberlake) as an alternate. Dad breathes his last, tears are shed, and then the group sets off to find Arthur, on a vessel of questionable ability.

They sail to an apparent island, where, after a case of mistaken identity, they finally find Arthur, who ends up being a highly picked-on teen. They basically rescue him from the height of embarrassment, after a failed "puberty career" in high school, where they inform him of his destiny. Predictably, he makes some pronouncements, curses, and then joins them on the journey back to Far, Far Away.

All isn't well, as Prince Charming, nursing his wounds at the Far, Far Away Pub, gathers some support from all manner of fairy tale villains, after they initially threaten his life. He gets them all worked-up over their short end of Poetic Justice's "slippery slope," and they agree to follow him to destroy Shrek, and help install him as king, with greasy promises of brighter days.

Both parties meet up in Far, Far Away, where Charming's group has already imprisoned Fiona's mom, Cinderella, the narcoleptic Sleeping Beauty, and at least one other diva, and plans to surprise and finish off Shrek.

Fiona reveals that she's pregnant, which is generally welcomed, but the young divas give all kinds of maternal advice, including Sleeping Beauty, who declares "you can never get any rest!" and then promptly faints. Shrek has some misgivings and nightmares of his own, as he contemplates this expanded future.

The balance of the film concerns this epic battle, which Charming has designed into a "tragedy" of sorts--in other words, this "plays" out on the stage, with whips and pangs of outrageous fortune, as well as bright upwellings, and a "photo finish." You'll have to watch it yourself to see the "upside," but it's well worth the trip.

Shrek the Third gives fans one more, deserved, "hurrah," and does it quite well, in my opinion. I've seen "Shrek 4-D" at Universal Studios, and this is a much better story (I know, it's hard for a 20-minute short to compare to a feature film). I was disappointed that Shrek didn't take on the crown (literally), but he does live "happily ever after" in another venue.

------------------------------------------------------DVD Features---------------------

* Meet the Cast is an 11 minute feature that introduces the voice talent-Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy and Justin Timberlake-complete with a few comments, as well as some insight into the voice-acting process.

* Shrek Tech (10 minutes) - A short that shows some of the technology behind creating and employing the animated cast.

* Lost Scenes (25 minutes)-These are not actual scenes, but footage of the filmmakers discussing the scenes that didn't make it onto the final cut.

* Big Green Goofs(2 minute) - It's pretty hard to make a completely controlled animated character fart out-of-key, so to speak, so this is a forced fare, for your enjoyment.

The balance of DVD features include: Shrek's Guide to Parenthood, the "Donkey Dance," theatrical trailers (sorry, no "Shreks"), and "DreamWorks Animation Jukebox," which gives short clips of other Dreamworks titles, in full 1080p video.

There are also a few extras targeted toward the younger crowd. "Merlin's Magic Crystal Ball" is supposed to be an interactive game, but you are supposed to formulate a simple yes/no question, and Merlin will give you some "advice." In "Learn the Donkey Dance," you will hone your 4-legged "electric slide" capabilities. "How to Be Green" is a 4 minute piece on how to preserve the environment by reducing global warming, and other "green" tips. Finally, "My Menus" allows you to select from 6 pre-defined sets of menus.

------------------------------------------------------HD-DVD Features--------------------

In what seems to be becoming a trend, the "Animator's Corner" presents the entire story in black-and-white storyboard form. You can also access "lost scenes," at specific, branching points, which may hold your interest.

For web-connected users, there are several features. First up is "The World of Shrek," which has "biographies," histories, and facts, pertaining to the main characters, as well as the real-life voice talent behind them. This is promised to be updated in the future, so stay tuned. Then, there is "Shrek's Trivia Track"--a pop-up text commentary with basic story notes, character asides, production info and other miscellaneous information. Lastly, "Donkey's Coloring Book," which is supposed to allow you to digitally color some pictures, but it was not yet available when I tried it--again, "stay tuned."

Here are a few of my other movie reviews...

"Wanted" is What U Want Nothing More. No Spoilers
The Joker is "One Sick Puppy!!!"The Dark Knight
This Movie is PERFECT for Our Times!(Iron Man)
Black Snake Moan---VERY PROVOCATIVE!
Quite a Thrill Ride, Even for Non-fans! (Transformers)
Part-Comedy, and Part Thriller (Hot Fuzz)
Really Fires the Imagination-National Treasure 2
The Bourne "Realization"-- WHAT A RIDE!!!
The Core--A Witty and Inventive End-of-the-World Adventure!
Did You Know that P.S. Also Means Post-Supernatural?
Jet Li is the Dragon Emperor in latest Mummy Installment
Would You Be Afraid of A Bully Named "Cloverfield?" (Horror)