Shrek, fais-moi peur

Scared Shrekless (2010) is a short film in which Shrek's friends take it in turns telling him scary stories in an effort to frighten the big fella and prove that ogres can be terrified too. Leading the charge is Donkey (surprisingly not voiced by Eddie Murphy), who instigates the whole ordeal, and he's joined by Puss in Boots, Gingerbread Man, Pinocchio, The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf. Only the first three get to actually tell a tale because Shrek himself chimes in with a story that just so happens to have the world's best pun as a title. The three stories are all enjoyable in their own right, as is the framing device. There are several entertaining, if ham-fisted, references to previous movies in the series, as well as to other films and to the fairytales that lend the franchise its characters. It's really fun, actually, and is varied enough to never feel stale. It's a pacy, well-animated affair that's much better than I was expecting it to be.