Shrek The Halls Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Picking up where Shrek the Third left off, this animated, original, half-hour special finds Shrek (Mike Meyers) doing his best to get into the Christmas spirit. Having promised Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and the kids that this will be the best Christmas ever, the loveable ogre realizes that in order to succeed, he'll have to take a crash course in the holiday. His noble efforts are soon complicated, however, when Christmas arrives and old friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), Gingy (Conrad Vernon) and the rest of the gang decide to drop in for a surprise visit.
| Mike Myers | Shrek |
| Eddie Murphy | Donkey |
| Cameron Diaz | Princess Fiona |
| Antonio Banderas | Puss in Boots |
| Cody Cameron | Pinocchio/Three Pigs |
| Susan Fitzer | Suzie Cookie |
| Christopher Knights | Blind Mice |
| Gary Trousdale | Santa |
| Conrad Vernon | Gingerbread Man |
| Aron Warner | Wolf |
| Marissa Jaret Winokur | Bookstore Clerk |
| Dante James Hauser | Ogre Baby |
| Gary Trousdale |
6.60 out of 10 (3629 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Has the quality of the Shrek movies but the story is too simple and sappy.
posted on 11 Jul 2009It was sort of surprising to see that this movie fairly much had the same visual quality as all of the other 'normal' Shrek movies. Quite surprising for a 30 minutes made for TV Christmas special. In that regard the fans of the Shrek movies will most likely also not be disappointed with this movie.The movie of course also features lots of the typical Shrek-humor and comical moments. Also of course great that all of the actors from the Shrek movies lend their voices to this special. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, they are all here.But it are mostly the secondary characters that make this movie fun to watch. Characters such as the Gingerbread Man and Pinocchio provide the movie with its most fun moments.Just too bad about the simple and cheesy story. The Shrek movies were all obviously aimed toward the sort of 'older kids' and more mature audience while this story is obviously aimed toward much younger children. It's just too simplistic and candy sweet all. The story mostly doesn't work out due to the fact that you'll find yourself mostly on Shrek's side rather than Fiona's, which was not what the makers intended. I can only say that the movie gets amusing when some of the character sort of give their own interpretation of their Christmas story and experiences but other than that the story doesn't really deserve much credit. It's just too obvious all. The movie tries to shove down the Christmas message trough our throats. It feels forced and not like the sweet little fun charming movie that it really could had been. Now instead the movie has basically little to offer or at least no more than any other Christmas TV/movie special, which doesn't take anything away from the quality or the fact that this still remains a perfectly watchable short movie.6/10
a sigh if relief
posted on 03 Jun 2009I 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.
Far better than expected
posted on 13 Mar 2009Who would have ever imagined that a direct-to-TV Christmas special about Shrek would be better than Shrek the Third? Well, it is. While your first reaction to the idea of "Shrek the Halls" is "this is a joke right?", it really exists and it doesn't suck. The only reason it doesn't completely fall on it's face is that it follows a very rigid and heartwarming Christmas story formula that you've probably seen a dozen times. While you may enjoy it once, it's not a classic for the ages like Rudolph or Frosty, so don't expect to hear Shrek carols this winter. Shrek the Halls was the best Shrek-y thing released in 2007, to the surprise of all.
Funny and warming – reminded me why I loved the first Shrek film
posted on 15 Nov 2008For many months Shrek has been ignoring Donkey's excitable babbling about Christmas. However it is only at the very last minute that he learns that this is something special to Fiona and the kids too. Going out in a rush to get things organised, Shrek buys a "how to" book on the perfect Christmas and sets about giving Fiona the perfect family Christmas. Problem is, Donkey has a different understanding of the word "family" than Shrek....I hadn't seen Shrek The Third when I watched this but when one reviewer mentioned this short film as being the reason they had nothing good left for the film, I thought it was worth twenty or so minutes. And indeed it was as it produced a perfect piece of animated fun for Christmas Eve. The story is about the meaning of Christmas and it has a great moral at the end on how it doesn't have to be perfect because no family is. This worked better for me than the usual sugar coated Christmas ideals that get served up each year but this was a side issue for me as really I was there for the laughs.Fortunately these are present in spades with the film being consistently funny with a hatful of really good laugh-out-loud moments. The German pigs are a treat and the gingerbread man's horrific experience with Santa is a clever reference as well as being very funny while Donkey of course does his usual fast talking stuff. Shrek and Fiona are, as normal, handed slightly weaker material as they are at the core of the film and thus not able to just drop in for a funny line or strong scene, but they are still fun. My favourite moment was Puss losing himself playing with a bauble ("I have shamed myself") – that had me rolling. The voice work is roundly good and the laughs are reasonably evenly spread out for everyone to get a bite.Overall then a very funny and warming Christmas animation that demonstrates the sort of touch and humour that made us all love Shrek in the first place.
One of best Christmas shows in years!
posted on 16 Oct 2008This holiday special was a true delight. The characters were all in top form, there was the always needed underlying messages, and it was entertaining. I love the baby ogres and really love the baby Donkey-Dragons. This show has something for adults and children and is a classic for years to come. Shrek never celebrated Christmas before. In a world where our rituals are diminishing daily, and there are attacks on every form of Christmas this transcended any debates and focused on the joy of a holiday like this, the coming together of family, whether "blood family" or the family of friends that is so important in our lives no matter what our age.Instead of focusing on gifts or anything like that, the show celebrates the early traditions, even pre-Christian, the bringing of the family, neighbors, and friends together in the darkest time of the year around the hearth. A time to just 'be'. I particularly loved the party because it reminds us all that we live in joy each day. and we see how the "true meaning of Christmas" changes with each individual. We get a chance to see through the lens (as Jung would say) of all the different characters, and bring together quite and odd and diverse group to merge into a wonderful holiday time, a family of caring friends.Shrek is his usual grumpy but dear hearted self, and the rest of the gang are a hoot. Donkey, Puss n Boots (I cracked up when he whisks off his hat and says to the baby ogres, OK I will assume the position, the ever cranky but loving Uncle), and the sweet pink Dragon who sits on the outside, unable to come into the home yet still very much a part of the family and the event. Fiona ties in the family and friends well, reminding Shrek and the world that family can mean so very much to us, and comes in many types and blessings.Thanks for such a wonderful show and I just hope that ABC airs it again during the holidays. This is one that I'd get in DVD and where is the CD??? The talent in Shrek is amazing, as always, the writing terrific, the animation awesome. Happy Shrekadays to all and to all a good night.
Great Fun, and some redemption
posted on 19 Aug 2008I have been a long-time Shrek fan. Since basically drooling over the trailer for the first Shrek movie since it was released on the net. It was groundbreaking, and absolutely hilarious that appealed to both children and adults. Shrek 2 came along, kept a lot of the same formula, and again in turn was a very good film. However with the coming of Shrek 3, I was very disappointed. My wife and I hardly laughed at all, and I found the film to be drawn out and boring for the most part.***Enough of the lead-in*** With Shrek the Halls, comes redemption and hope for the franchise. Yes, this special was short, however in that short amount of time I laughed more than the entire full length of Shrek 3. This wasn't a cheesy made-for-TV video either, the animation is beautiful and the jokes were spot on (the entire Gingerbread man / Santa thing was great). I'm not going to spoil anything away, since there's really not much *to* spoil away, but just know it's fun for the whole family, and for something that you can watch in the comfort of your own home without having to pay for theater admission, how can you pass this up?
Shrek the Halls may become a holiday classic for a new generation
posted on 09 Aug 2008This 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.
What does Gingerbread man say??
posted on 04 Jul 2008Hey fellow Shrek the Halls watchers... I have reversed my DVR about 20 times and re-watched this section of the movie. My husband and I have a bet going on because we both swear he says two different things...When Gingerbread is talking to the Angel does he say -"Did you hurt yourself when you fell out of Heaven?" OR does he say "Did you hurt yourself when you fell out of the oven?"I've searched online trying to see if I can find this anywhere and have not found anything... I need someone to end our feud.. Please help!! The sooner we get an answer, the better, I'll be checking in!!
Stink A Roo
posted on 15 May 2008I think this Christmas shrek special was awful.Maybe i'm just to old to appreciate this cartoon.I found the main characters OK, but the guests that came in ruined the show. the gingerbread sequence with huge santa was so boring.The animation was typical shrek, and the story plot about shrek wanting to celebrate with just his family was a good idea, but when the guests arrived unannounced, well......The guests all went nuts creating total chaos that wasn't funny to me. It was just annoying.I'm probably just to old to enjoy this movie. I can see why kids like it though
Shrek the Halls!
posted on 05 May 2008Shrek the halls was great! It was full of the original Shrek humor. The whole cast is back and Shrek is grumpier than ever because its... the holiday season!The only problem I had with it was the fact that it was a half an hour special that really in fact is only 20 min. The story was good and all but it went by too fast. It barley had a middle. It was like a fast beginning and a long end. Fans of the films will love it! It's great for kids (with the short attention span) but for the adults its just another reason for a TV special.I'm just gonna be waiting for its DVD release where its sold for the same amount as a two-hour film.
Annoying but strangely likable
posted on 07 Apr 2008This short film is about how Shrek prepares to spend his first Christmas with his family."Shrek the Halls" is a colourful, fun and festive animation. It retains the original elements of Shrek, especially the highly annoying donkey which I really dislike. It is packed with action and fun, full of different things going on as the Shrek babies, Gingerbread man, donkey, Puss In Boots and other characters have their share of screen time. I like "Shrek the Halls" up until the appearance of fart jokes. Why do the filmmakers so obsessed with farts? It appears not just once but twice! And Shrek even wishes you a smelly Christmas! Now kids throughout the country will wish each other smelly Christmas. I am not sure that is a good idea."Shrek the Halls" is annoying but strangely likable. It will go down as a guilty pleasure.
Better than SHREK THE THIRD; in the vein of the original.
posted on 24 Mar 2008This review *may* contain spoilers, please read at your own will.I absolutely loved this Christmas special. I don't really think it makes much sense in the world of Shrek but it was absolutely hilarious and just plain joyous to watch, and as my review title suggests, a lot better than Shrek the Third.The first two rocked but the third one felt tired, but Shrek the Halls has injected adrenaline into a classic franchise that has become as funny and as charming as it used to be.The animation, as always from DreamWorks, is a delight and the acting the animators have put into the characters are great; I loved the scene where Puss is telling the story about Senor Claus and becomes entranced by the ball hanging off the Santa hat.Which reminds me of how great it is to see Christmas from different perspectives, like Gingy's horrific Christmas nightmare (but hey, that's what you get for being a gingerbread man on Christmas Eve), and I also love how the different perspectives also reiterate the fact Christmas can be celebrated however you want and you don't need to go by the books, both metaphorically and in reality.All in all, a great family Christmas special to cuddle up to with your family as the rats are roasting and the frog baubles are hanging on the tree stump with dirty laundry hanging on the chimney for ol' Ogre Claus.A welcome addition to the Shrek family, four stars (out of five)!
Perfect for the ADHD Crowd
posted on 24 Mar 2008If you took all the stock elements of a Shrek movie (grumpy ogre, annoying donkey, cute kitty, obligatory dance number, etc.), put them in a blender and condensed it to 20 minutes, you'd have this mess. Painful to watch; I may have laughed once. The story and dialogue are rushed beyond comprehension, with the voice actors sounding like they phoned in their lines. The final reworked rendition of "The Christmas Story" poem felt like it was written by a committee in five minutes. And boy, a little Eddie Murphy goes a long way. With its desperate attempt to be hip and current, this show will be long outdated and forgotten while classics like "The Grinch…" will remain timeless. A sad waste of effort by all involved, a veritable "jumping of the shark" for the Shrek franchise.
A fun time for all
posted on 22 Mar 2008This 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.
Great little holiday diversion
posted on 06 Jan 2008Well it is only obvious why Shrek the third stunk... Dreamworks had this little gem up it's sleeve.this is what Shrek the third should have been. High on comedy,AWESOME soundtrack and a nice little moral at the end. All the characters were great. And I particularly loved Gingy's Christmas story of horror ( it had me rolling) My only complaint was the length of time. It really could've gone an hour to hour and a half and i wouldn't have complained.This is a wonderful holiday special that will no doubt be added to our family holiday rotation. And in the plus column it was completely family friendly.If you have a chance see it. I personally can't wait for the DVD.
Shrek the Halls
posted on 19 Jul 2009There are quite a few family films that have attempted the short TV special or straight to video Christmas special, and not all are brilliant, and this is the attempt from Shrek and gang. Basically it is near Christmas Eve, Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and the new ogre kids are obviously excited, but grouchy Shrek (Mike Myers) would prefer it if it was just him, with his wife and kids, no-one else. Of course, the disasters he was expecting start happening when all their friends: Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), Pinocchio (Cody Cameron), Gingerbread Man (Conrad Vernon) and Wolf (Aron Warner) come over to join them. Shrek is like a Scrooge that really doesn't like what Christmas is becoming, but he reveals near the end it is because he has never celebrated it, so he has no idea what goes on, e.g. present giving, family get together, decorations, etc, but he and the others get their Happy Christmas (Eve). Good!