Puss in Boots - More than a Kids Flick

You know, every now and then comes a movie that is so much better than it has any right to be. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the case. Attractive theme, compelling story with great action and humour. This combination is always a win for me.

Puss in Boots first appeared in Shrek 2 back in 2004 and his solo movie came in 2011. It was a perfectly serviceable animated film aimed at kids with some pretty funny lines but nothing impactful or memorable. The more surprising it is that, now, twelve years later, comes Puss in Boots sequel and it’s better than all the previous movies in that universe. It’s not just a good movie for kids to enjoy and learn a valuable lesson about mortality and the importance of friendship. The movie is very enjoyable for adults as well. The movie explores the characters in a very real way which is a breath of fresh air in the plethora of interchangeable animated movies that come out every year.

The movie shows how Puss is showing off and wasting his 9 lives until it hits him that he has only one life left. The story drags the cat through a severe personality crisis which makes him a more interesting character than in Shrek. The individual themes are quite mature, and the story itself is pleasantly dark and brooding. This is beautifully illustrated by the drops of blood that slowly trickle down the Cat's face and the ominous whistling of the approaching Wolf...

Moreover, the screenplay does a great job with the motivations of each character, so that apart from the one-sided writing of Jack Horner, every character on screen breathes and has something to offer. The Second Cat thus beautifully builds up the idea of longing and expectation, which is then skillfully woven into a web of humanity thanks to the characters' compelling stories, which then all comes together in the grand finale.

The filmmakers said the movie was inspired by the 1966 western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and you can definitely see it. It's an action packed adventure where everyone is on a quest to get the ultimate reward.

The absolute peak of the movie for me is the scene where the Puss is terrified when he sees Death and suffers a real panic attack. Perrito – an extremely friendly and good-hearted dog calms him down without saying anything just by being there. The scene is taken very seriously and there are no lame jokes to destroy the atmosphere.

The filmmakers decided to move away from the realistic animation style used in Shrek and the first Puss in Boots in favor of a more creative style. The movie uses stylized animation which looks more like illustrations from story books. The visuals are truly excellent. The action sequences are exciting and have great choreography.

Impeccable English voice acting by Banderas and Salma, the strong English accents of Goldilocks and the Three Bears were a stroke of genius, and Wagner Moura as Wolf is perfect!

All that being said, go support the movie. Buy the tickets and hopefully we send a signal that this is the right direction for kids movies as opposed to the soulless crap they keep making. The movie already made over half a billion dollars on a relatively small budget. Another Universal release Super Mario Bros is currently crushing it. Universal is destroying Disney in the box office when it comes to animation. And it’s great. Disney is so hollow and utterly corrupted that they need to plunge to the absolute bottom so they can maybe get back to telling good stories. And if not, then there will be Universal or other studios who will replace them.

Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish It’s a film for all ages. Go to the cinema and enjoy the ride! Go watch Super Mario Bros as well. We need to show our appreciation for their effort.