12 Reviews of Christmas - Shrek the Halls (2007)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, since we talked about the Halloween special Scared Shrekless back in October, it's only appropriate to talk about a Shrek Christmas special in December. So, for today's 12 Reviews of Christmas, let's talk about the 2007 special Shrek the Halls. 

           So, it's Christmas time, and it's the first Christmas that Shrek and Fiona are celebrating with their children. But, Shrek never celebrated Christmas before, and is completely out of his depth. So, seeking help, Shrek goes to a book shop, where the clerk gives him a copy of "Christmas for Village Idiots," and Shrek attempts to follow the book to the letter to give his family the perfect Christmas. 

          And, for the most part, things go pretty well for Shrek. That is, until Donkey, Puss in Boots, the Three Little Pigs, the Wolf, the Three Blind Mice, Pinocchio, Gingy, and Dragon all show up, and the party starts going nuts. Luckily, Dragon stays outside as she's too big to fit in the house. Amidst the insanity, Shrek finds his children and tries to tell them the story "The Night Before Christmas." But, everyone else gets in with their own stories, with Donkey telling of how he decorated his place, a parade showed up with a massive Santa made out of waffle. Puss, then, tells of a swashbuckling Spaniard version of Santa, but gets distracted by a Christmas tree ornament. Gingy's story is more scary, as it shows his perspective on Santa being a terrifying figure who are his girlfriend Susie. Shrek, finally fed up, kicks everyone out. 

          Fiona, bundled up with the babies, decides to go make amends with everyone, and despite his efforts to rationalize his actions, Fiona explains that all of the insanity that occured is just part of Christmas. Alone with his thoughts, Shrek finally realizes what Christmas is all about. Shrek goes to his friends and apologizes, as this is more than the first Christmas for his family, but it's his first Christmas PERIOD. The gang accepts his apology, and they return to Shrek's House to celebrate Christmas, with Shrek telling his own rendition of "The Night Before Christmas," which tells all about Ogre Claus. After the story ends, everyone hears a "Ho-Ho-Ho" coming from outside, and they all head out to see Santa flying in front of the moon. 

           Shrek the Halls is definitely what you'd expect from a Christmas special featuring the characters from Shrek. It's a lot of fun, and especially seeing how the various characters like Donkey, Puss, and Gingy all view Santa Claus. Seeing Shrek trying to put together a Christmas celebration for the first time is also pretty funny, as it goes to show what his family means to him, and just seeing the insane he goes through to assemble the perfect Christmas is hysterical. And, of course, the cast of Shrek is all fantastic. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas, just to name a few, were all terrific. This is definitely one that is worth the watch for the holiday season. I'm giving Shrek the Halls a 5/5. Now, something genuinely ironic to me is this: when the original Shrek movie was released on home video, there was included a holiday music CD called "Shrek: Home for the Holidays," and one of its four songs was called "Shrek the Halls." Just something funny to me, personally, is all. And, of you want to hear the entirety of "Shrek: Home for the Holidays," you can check it out on YouTube. 

          Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and 12 Reviews of Christmas will continue tomorrow with Home Alone 4.