But what really makes the flick a success is the animation team. I truly think Shrek the Third is by far the most impressive visually of the trio of Shrekiliciousness. It really stands out on Blu-ray too. The animation pops to look as if it isn’t just an animated movie but perhaps something more. You can see the details in the hair on the characters or fibers of fabric on their clothes. It starts off strong with Charming’s hair billowing in the wind so clearly. The transfer is in 1080p so the pop in colors and sharpness is visible throughout the film. The high definition almost distracts from the movie because the animation stands out so beautifully. However, there is a difference in the Blu-ray release and that of the earlier HD-DVD version — an issue of depth of field. There is more detail in the background elements instead of blurring them slightly to differentiate the foreground and background. This isn't just an issue with Shrek the Third but it seems to be common with Blu-ray releases. So while it is beautifully detailed, it is a bit odd.
The audio is in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 showing crisp dialogue throughout with the ambient sounds adding depth but never overpowering or distracting the audience from what is going on. Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also available in Dolby Digital 5.1.
There are tons of extras on the Blu-ray release, many of which were on the HD-DVD release but some are improved upon or even new. The coolest feature, if you ask me, is the Picture-in-Picture feature called “The Animators’ Corner” with interactive storyboards of deleted scenes pitches. There’s a pop up video track called “Shrek’s Trivia Track” about production info, and “The World of Shrek” with biographical info on the actors and movie. There are also your typical behind the scenes and outtakes features in “Lost Scenes,” “Big Green Goofs,” “The Tech of Shrek,” and several more.
I think Shrek the Third is definitely worth watching. But if you already purchased it when it was released on HD-DVD you can skip this Blu-ray release, as it is pretty much the same.
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