Shrek 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Don’t expect problems here, as the movie offered great visuals.
Across the board, sharpness looked terrific. No signs of softness materialized at any point during the movie. Instead, the flick appeared distinctive and well-defined.
No problems with shimmering or jagged edges popped up, and I noticed no signs of edge enhancement. The movie lacked any source flaws.
Shrek 2 offered a lively palette that befit a fairytale story. The film displayed a wide variety of hues and always imbued them with great life and vivacity. HDR added impact and punch to the tones.
Blacks were deep and firm, while low-light shots displayed solid definition and clarity. Whites and contrast enjoyed a boost from HDR. Expect a terrific presentation here.
Downconverted to DTS-HD MA 7.1, the DTS X soundtrack of Shrek 2 worked fine. Though not packed with thrills, the soundfield popped to life in a positive manner.
Most of the excitement stemmed from the more action-oriented scenes, as those used the various speakers to good advantage. Material seemed well-placed and blended to create a nice sense of place and movement..
Audio quality satisfied, with speech that consistently seemed natural and concise. Music showed nice range and punch.
Effects offered solid clarity and appealing low-end, with rich bass. Though not amazing, the track satisfied.
How did this 4K UHD compare to the original Blu-ray? The DTS X soundtrack opened up the prior soundscape and also felt a bit more dynamic.
The UHD’s visuals brought superior colors, blacks and delineation. While the Blu-ray looked great, it didn’t live up to the highs of the 4K.
For those with the necessary TV equipment, matters complicate due to the existence of a 3D version of Shrek 2. If that group includes you, should you go 3D or 4K?
I would definitely recommend the 4K, as the 3D seemed lackluster. Though the stereo effects added some pizzazz at times, they didn’t bring much to the table, so the better visuals and audio of the 4K made it the winner.
When we shift to extras, we find two audio commentaries. The first comes from directors Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, both of whom sit together for their running, screen-specific discussion. A chatty affair, the pair covers a mix of subjects, though most of them relate to story elements.
We get a little information about visuals and animation, but mainly we hear about character issues, working out the plot and other areas, and keeping things on the right foot. The pair joke with each other - their frequent use of incorrect words becomes a running gag - and make this an informative and likable piece.
Next we get a commentary with producer Aron Warner and editor Mike Andrews. They also sit together for their running, screen-specific discussion. As with the directors’ track, this one focuses on storytelling, but in a different way, as it concentrates on pacing, editing, and melding the different elements.
Whereas the first commentary went over how they came up with the various story pieces, this one lets us know how they combined the parts into the coherent final. We learn about cut sequences as well as some music and a few technical issues.
As with the prior commentary, this one displays a wry humor that allows it to remain consistently engaging. I like both commentaries, especially since they nicely complement each other.
Far Far Away Idol is a piece of animation originally created for the DVD. In the eight-minute, 55-second short, we see various characters sing appropriate pop tunes for a judging panel of Shrek, Fiona, and Simon Cowell. It’s cute and enjoyable.
With Spotlight on Puss in Boots, we get a 10-minute, 43-second featurette. It presents notes from Warner, Adamson, Vernon, Myers, Diaz, Banderas, Murphy, Shrek Forever After director Mike Mitchell, producer Gina Shay, visual effects supervisor Doug Cooper, character technical director Sandy Kao, and actor Walt Dohrn.
“Spotlight” looks at the character’s development and design as well as Banderas’s casting and performance. The program gives us a tight, interesting take on Puss.
Next comes Secrets of Shrek 2, a four-minute piece. It identifies cameos and movie details that otherwise might go unnoticed. It’s a fun little bonus.
We find music videos for Counting Crows’ “Accidentally in Love” and Puss in Boots’ “These Boots Were Made for Walking”. The former is a bland video, and the latter isn’t much better, though we do get some fun shots of Banderas in the recording studio.
We also get “I Know It’s Today” from Shrek: The Musical. It doesn’t make me want to see the show.
All these components appear on the included Blu-ray copy along with a few left off of the UHD. The Animators’ Corner offers picture-in-picture elements that show behind the scenes footage, storyboards, and interviews. We hear from Asbury, Vernon, Warner, writer Andrew Adamson, production designer Guillaume Aretos, composer Harry Gregson-Williams, costume designer Isis Mussenden, actors Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, John Cleese, Julie Andrews and Antonio Banderas, and other crew members.
Why don’t I credit them? Because the stupid Blu-ray doesn’t credit them.
It never lists any names, so if I didn’t recognize a participant or figure out their names via context, I couldn’t identify them.
“Corner” covers story/character topics, performances and inspirations, music and visual design, animation and technical areas, and some general issues. “Corner” acts as a nice complement to the commentary, as it discusses a good array of areas. It manages to fill most of the film – only a few gaps here! – and provides an enjoyable picture-in-picture track.
Shrek’s Interactive Journey: II acts as a form of still gallery. It lets you choose from six movie locations and see concept art created for those spots. It’s not the most intuitive way to view these images, but I like the content.
For material from other films, we can move to the DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox. This allows you to watch clips from Bee Movie, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and Over the Hedge. This lets us hear some musical numbers from the films. It feels like advertising to me, honestly, as it serves little real purpose.
The disc opens with ads for Megamind and Kung Fu Panda 2. These also appear under Previews along with clips for The Penguins of Madagascar, the Kung Fu Panda World game, and Shrek: The Musical. No trailer for Shrek 2 shows up here.
If you liked Shrek, you’ll probably enjoy Shrek 2. Actually, the sequel’s probably a little better than the original, but both are similar overall. Though Shrek 2 offers some fun, it doesn’t ever really take flight. The 4K UHD presents excellent visuals plus good audio and a nice roster of bonus materials. I still don’t think this is a great movie, but it’s generally likable, and the 4K UHD brings it home well.
