{"id":1007,"date":"2021-05-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senses.se\/en\/review-shrek-uhd\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T23:58:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T22:58:44","slug":"review-shrek-uhd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.senses.se\/en\/review-shrek-uhd\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Shrek (UHD)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the autumn of 1998, I acquired my first DVD<\/strong> player, a model imported from the USA specifically to play American region 1 DVDs. Two years later, in the autumn of 2000, I purchased Chicken Run (Flykten fr\u00e5n H\u00f6nsg\u00e5rden)<\/strong>. The extras included a trailer for a film with the intriguing name Shrek<\/strong>. This was in a pre-ubiquitous internet era, before the rise of social networks and five years prior to the launch of YouTube. My exposure to information was limited, and I had little understanding of what Shrek<\/em> was. I must have watched that trailer countless times. The film, from what I could glean, seemed groundbreaking in its animation style, musical selections, dialogue, and particularly its humor. It was a year before I finally saw the complete film, and it managed to surpass my high expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ogre Shrek (Mike Myers)<\/strong> leads a solitary existence in his swamp. Occasionally, villagers attempt to confront him, but they are easily dissuaded. His tranquility is shattered when his home is overrun by displaced fairy-tale characters, evicted by the malevolent Lord Farauaad<\/strong> (brilliantly portrayed by John Lithgow<\/strong>). To reclaim his swamp, Shrek is tasked with rescuing the princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz)<\/strong> from a fire-breathing dragon. He is accompanied on his quest by the talking donkey, \u00c5sna (Eddie Murphy)<\/strong>, and together they embark on an adventure that will profoundly alter their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shrek<\/em> remains a cinematic masterpiece<\/em>. The film’s quality is consistently high. Just as I did with the original trailer, I can revisit it repeatedly. Despite a recent viewing, experiencing Shrek<\/em> in 4K<\/strong> with Dolby Atmos<\/strong> was a revelatory experience. The image exhibits remarkable clarity, and despite the animation being nearly a quarter-century old (the production spanned almost four years), it appears contemporary. The film’s enduring appeal is truly remarkable. The colors are vibrant, and the black levels are deep and well-defined. The Dolby Atmos sound design is nuanced and refined, a significant improvement over the Dolby Digital 5.1 track offered on the DVD. The Swedish dub is also included, though typically in the somewhat less robust DTS-HD format, resulting in a slightly diminished audio experience. This edition comprises three discs, offering an abundance of bonus content. Included are all Shrek<\/em> short films, even those associated with the later sequels, as well as M\u00e4sterkatten i St\u00f6vlarna<\/strong>‘s animated series. A notable omission, however, is behind-the-scenes material. The original DVD featured excellent documentaries that are, unfortunately, absent here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, Shrek<\/em> earns high marks across all criteria. While perhaps not as emotionally impactful as a film such as Coco<\/a><\/strong>, it explores relevant and relatable themes. The film exudes a genuine warmth and humor, incorporating a substantial amount of sophisticated humor, granting it a distinctive and enduring panache<\/em>. Furthermore, Shrek<\/em> boasts one of the most effective and forward-thinking modern film endings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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