Shrek the Halls

I don't like Christmas specials, any Christmas specials, but Shrek turned out to be exception. As he never celebrated Christmas and has no idea what it is at all, when he decides to organize Christmas for his family in last moment hilarious disaster is due to happen. Add Eddie Murphy as irritating Donkey and entertainment is guaranteed.

7,5/10

This Shrek the Halls holiday special can be both frantic and funny and enjoyable and maybe a little exasperating all at the same time and will probably be another classic to be enjoyed for years to come for adults and children and their families in subsequent Decembers to come. Eddie Murphy's Donkey still has that endearingly irritating quality that makes him often the funniest character in this franchise. Mike Myers's Shrek still has that exasperated appeal we can identify with when Donkey almost goes too far in his constant cheeriness. Cameron Diaz' Fiona makes a nice balance for Shrek when he needs cheering up. Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots is still at his suave and cute best. And the Gingerbread Man's frightening reaction to Santa Claus is a great touch of a twist in this wonderful parody of various animated Christmas specials over the years! So if you thought there weren't any more original holiday shows to be made, Shrek the Halls may slightly change your mind about that.

Shrek the Halls is great Christmas fun, not as good as the first film, but on par with the second and an improvement on the third. My only problems with it though were that I felt it could have been longer by about say 10 minutes, and the pace was a tad too fast in places. Still it is hugely enjoyable, that still maintains the charm and humour of the film franchise and offers some delicious moments. My favourite moments were Gingy's Christmas story of horror and Puss losing himself playing with a bauble, both of which had me and my whole family in hysterics. The animation is simply great, the soundtrack is delightful and the laughs are plentiful. The characters are just as likable as they were in the movies, though Shrek is a real Scrooge, and Gingy especially is a scream here. The voice acting is professional enough, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas the standouts as Donkey and Puss. All in all, enjoyable fun for Christmas Time. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I have to say that i was holding my breath when I sat down to watch this. I wanted so much to like it but everything pointed to this being a total disaster. First off Christmas specials are rarely on the caliber of Charlie Brown Christmas and are usually closer to The Star Wars Holiday Special. Add on the fact that the last Shrek movie was nowhere near as good as the first two. Having now seen it I can say that there is hope for the Shrek series yet. Shrek The Halls tells the story of Shrek learning about Christmas. Now that the big green guy has a family, he wants to give them the best Christmas ever, but he doesn't know how. but with the help of donkey and puss in boots and the rest of the gang, he learns in a trial and error type of way that one can only find in a Shrek story. This cute little half an hour special has really restored my faith in both the Shrek series and Christmas specials in general. that may seem way to dramatic but if Shrek the Halls can pull it of then maybe there is hope for the ones yet to come.

This little 22 minute marvel accomplishes what Shrek the Third could not: it is consistently funny and works well on its own. Shrek the Third was mildly amusing, while this is side-splittingly funny. It is also easy for most of the audience to relate to. Everyone has tried to create the perfect Christmas before, and everyone can relate to wanting to have an intimate Christmas with the immediate family. Some have commented that it bears a resemblance to the Star Wars Holiday Special, but I just don't see it. It breezes by without unnecessary musical numbers or "special guest appearances". All in all, an amusing little time-waster, and I hope that future editions of Shrek the Third on DVD come packaged with this as a bonus.