Shrek the Halls

Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Antonio Banderas reprise their vocal roles as Shrek characters in this half-hour shy holiday spin-off, which aired on ABC in November 2007. The story begins 159 days before Christmas with Donkey (Murphy) harassing Shrek (Myers) about being prepared for the big day, which—of course—Shrek still isn't ready for on the day before Christmas Eve, when his wife Fiona (Diaz) expresses her excitement over the family's first Christmas together with their three babies. After picking up a copy of Christmas for Village Idiots, the non-holiday-celebrating ogre Shrek and his family hurriedly start working on decorations…until Donkey and the rest of the gang show up to help the Shreks get into the holiday spirit, and the Christmas cheer turns into a wild party—after which Shrek turns Ebenezer-ish and tosses everyone out. But with a little help, Shrek eventually learns that the true value of the season lies in togetherness. Featuring several interpretations of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, as well as the customary franchise burps, nose picking, and general grossness, this entertaining and sure to be popular program includes DVD extras such as sing-along songs, “Gingy's Dunking Game,” and a demo for Shrek's Carnival Craze video game. Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)