The dark knight rises

The dark knight rises filming

The cast are well settled into their roles, and the new dynamic for the main characters, rediscovering their friendships, and living tweaked versions of their original selves, gives energy to many moments. Particularly inspired is Antonio Banderas returning as Puss In Boots; spoiled and indulged, the now hefty and rotund cat delivers some of the best visual gags. Again, Eddie Murphy somehow manages to steal the show with his always-funny penchant for breaking into loud song, and all around, this final Shrek is warm, funny, action-filled, and genuinely delightful. The direction is stylish and explores the freedom of computer generated animation, and praise should be given to Mike Mitchel who is perhaps best known for his work on Greg the Bunny for his invention and raising of the Shrek bar. Bravo to Paramount. With each film remastered for optimum quality, the 1080p high definition blu-rays are gorgeous. Each of the films is presented in their original theatrical the dark knight rises filming ratios; with the first three films presented in 78:1 and the final film presented in 35:1 I am unsure if the aspect ratio change is related to the decision to present this film theatrically in 3D. One of the most impressive techniques throughout the series is the refraction of light with the use of smoke; some of the effects have been gorgeous and I never tire of scenes where light is featured. With an excellent level of detail and the vibrancy of colors observable and laudable in almost every frame, the Shrek films have never looked this good at home. I was particularly pleased with how blacks and shadows within scenes were handled, revealing the superb detail in the image, and the high-quality animation which remains consistent throughout the series. Color saturation is spot on and, despite being 2D, at times really seems to come off the screen it should be noted that 3D versions of these films are available as a Samsung exclusive. Many sequences in the films involved complex flying, such as ShrekÁs broomstick ride in the 4 film, or the aerial attack in part three, and from the precision of the animation and this hi-def presentation, nothing is missed. Each of the films comes with a stunning 1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The surrounds are alive with activity creating an enveloping and immersive animated experience. Harry Gregson-Williams along with John Powell for the first film ably present a beautiful theme used for great tear-jerking effect once or twice in the series, and the entire sound presented from the fronts and rears are warmed by the music. The many pop and other genres of songs featured throughout light up the speakers, rattle the subwoofer, and sound pristine in the perfectly crisp center channel, even when Eddie Murphy is belting out a familiar party song at the top of his lungs. The marauding sounds of villagers with pitch-forks, or an entire Kingdom gasping for breath at their first sight of the miserly green ogre wash around the audioÁs sound design effortlessly in what is a knock-out presentation of the audio on each of these films. Shrek: The Whole Story blu-ray box set comes with a plethora of special features, running hours and hours, and ranging from perfect fun and games for children to enjoy and sing along to, to commentaries and behind-the-scenes material that should satiate the dark knight rises filming adult special feature watchers. Special note should be taken of DonkeyÁs Christmas Shrektacular, a brand-new holiday themed feature. The picture-in-picture Blu-ray exclusives are terrific and worth watching at least once to peak under the covers of the Shrek animated universe. While the musical numbers may not be my personal cup to tea I was never able to understand the appeal of Smash Mouth, their inclusion will no doubt be welcome here. All in all, the wealth of extra material here, despite missing a few pieces such as Shrek the Halls is a rich bevvy of interesting, entertaining, forgettable, odd, and comprehensive extras.