Movie Review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

Last year, I covered “The Bad Guy” that, while I like this movie for new animation level and lovable characters, despite the writing couldn’t avoiding from obvious clichés. Despite some flaws, its a pretty good film that many people considered it as first part of Dreamworks’ redemption, it wasn’t until we have the second one that came out at the near end of 2022 in today’s review.

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a 2022 CG animated adventure film that was directed by Joel Crawford, produced by Mark Swift and written by Paul Fisher (for screenplay), Tommy Swerdlow (both screenplay and story) and Tom Wheeler (for story).

Even though I haven’t seen Puss’s first movie (maybe il review it in my future), the idea came from Guillermo Del Toro shared the plan a sequel plan to Puss and Boots’ director Chris Miller back in 2012, with various drafts for what the sequel is about, but it ended up in Development Hell, it wasn’t until the big boss of Illumination named Chris Meledandri came in for their help of this sequel, along with long-development Shrek 5 as the executive producer and Bob Perschetti is going to be the director, but ultimately replaced by Joel Crawford after done with The Croods: A New Age, which when I first heard of it, I wasn’t as sure since we pretty much moving on from Shrek, or maybe give Shrek’s series a second chance.

But when it was eventually released on December 21 2022, it was considered a welcome return in Shrek’s universe and some easily saying its a big improvement over Puss’s first movie, as well as huge hit at the box-office that, as im writing this, it earned more than $297.5M over $90M’s budget. Even though I never seen it at theater, but they decided to released the movie digitally around the theater’s release, so I got this movie on digital.

So, with all that said, will Puss gives us a welcome return, or maybe nine lives will be his last straw?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

While it has a funny tone of this movie, but it also having a drama with a heart for a the return of Puss.

It begins where we meet our familiar swashbuckling fugitive cat with his boots named… Well “Puss in Boots”, who’s hosting a party in Governor's house, while Governor isn’t happy for his involvement, but Puss accidentally going over-partying to waking up the Sleeping Giant. Despite he eventually beat the giant to keep the village safe, but not before he got crushed by a bell. But later on, he woke up from the hospital, while checking by a doctor for what’s happening, we found out that Puss lives with nine lives, but without realizing that he died eight times that he’s on his final life, but Puss doesn’t seem to care that he’s always a legendary hero, but not before once he’s in cantina (aka the bar), he first meet a dark hooded wolf to daring him to fight for death, which Puss is easily feared from him that not only he ran off, but also wanting to retire to be in Mama Luna’s house, it wasn’t until not only he meets dog (who later named Perrito), he’s targeted by Goldi with three bears bounty hunting, not before Puss hears their goal for finding a Wishing Star, which got himself intention to his new journey, its up to Puss, along with partnering up Perrito and reuniting his ex Kitty Softpaws to finding the Wishing Star without getting involved from Goldie and the bears, a daring blood-thirsty Wolf and a giant pastry chef and crime lord Jack Horner once and for all without dying his last life.

While its a simple story about a journey, but instead of finding a treasure (or should I say, getting a Golden Egg from Puss’s first movie, which again, I never seen it, yet), this one is all about struggling to survive in a last life to finding a Wishing Star in order save himself, which is exactly this one is all about a character driven of survival after what happened of his previous lives that he died. In other words, its all about facing his mortality to live to get the wish without putting his life on the line, otherwise, without him, legend will coming to at end. Its a pretty thought-provoking story development how instead of making nine lives as a typical superstition or a joke, it almost like treating it seriously to add some dark and even a heart for this movie that we want to invest our favorite outlaw hero keep himself alive to save his life without putting the end of his legend that we all know. Though the downside is that having three villains could be a bit of flaws, but at least they have their purpose for either wishing or even trying to killing Puss’s last life, which the same wouldn’t be said for Spider-Man 3, but I digress. Of course, since is the spin-off of Shrek that we all know, it obviously needs to have a comedy, and I gotta say, those jokes are actually pretty funny, even though its not perfect, but at least its a laugh worthy, yes, like Shrek, it has plenty of Fairy Tale references, but not in a satire purpose, but its a nice add a reference, while its a laugh worthy, but then again, its not as perfect as two Shrek movies.

While it has a good jokes, but its more about a story driven for Puss’s survival with mortality without risking himself, which it makes it a pretty good story telling, not just for humor, but also add some sad and heartwarming tone in this sequel.

The Animation

Sweet Christmas of uniqueness, this one is a big change since my review of The Bad Guys! Sorry for getting too excited, but il give a big credit for their new movement of their animation.

Anyway, while the background design is pretty typical in the world of Fairy tale, but it has its creativity and some imagination how its build, especially with some creative setting like Jack Horner’s factory and even the Dark Forest, which it acts like some kind of pocket dimension with various obstacles and such others.

As for the design, they’re looking pretty fascinating and even keep the respect for a familiar design like Puss himself and Kitty Softpaws from Puss’s first movie, while some others are also pretty good and creative, rather than doing a not-so-realistic look back then, this one goes like a mix between saturation to comic painting style. Not to mention, unlike Dreamworks previous films back that are either tame or swampy (no pun attended), here its both bright, colorful and vibrant, which I enjoy for the quality.

Speaking on both, the biggest highlight of this movie its the animation. Which at first, it makes you thinking “Wait a minute, did they really copying the animation style from Sony Pictures Animation like Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse?”, well it may sounds like it. Remember when I mentioned that the director role was supposed to be Bob Perschetti? It turns out he’s the co-director of Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, hence their original idea for involvement, but like I said, Bob bowed out and replaced by Joel Crawford, it sucks for not having the same co-director of Spider-Verse, but il give their credit for their inspiration, ranging from the effect of comic filter to a similar animation frame-by-frame from Spider-Verse whenever there’s the action scenes from sword fight to massive blow like Puss vs Sleeping Giant.

The animation of this movie is outstanding for bright and colorful, action impact and well done design to feel like a concept drawing to life than a not-so-realism look design.

The Characters

While I know Puss since I watched Shrek 2 since my childhood, though I didn’t know about Kitty Softpaws in Puss’s first movie, but when it comes to the characters in this movie while it has some nice new ones, but some have mixed result.

Lets starts with the title character, Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas since Shrek 2), back then, he’s a calm swashbuckling outlaw cat for journey on either his own or even with Shrek and Donkey, to prove them wrong how power acrobatic he is with his Zorro-like sword fight style (The latter was a purpose inspiration when Banderas played as Zorro in The Mask of Zorro) and his respectful honor, in a cute level way. Here however, while sorta remains the same, but he acts like a superstar for his legend at first, but wanted to be a bit more attention, when he life is on the line after died 8 times, which he eventually changed to realizing in hesitation that his life is on the line, no longer invincible what he used to, fearing that if he’s in the last life, his legendary name is no more. Quite of nice change, even if he maybe exaggerated, but il give a credit how he was written to a concerning character that his life is at risk, and of course, Banderas is always did a fun work of his role.

Next we have Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek Pinault) the street-savvy ex-girlfriend since she first met Puss from the past before their unlikely reunion. Like I always said, I never seen Puss in Boots’ movie when she first met that I know she’s meant to be love interesting before Puss left her to traveling Far Far Away. Here, with Puss reunion, it wasn’t a good start when it comes to Puss’s last life and Kitty finding wish if anyone can trust her. I find her not bad and rather cute in the movie, even if it wasn’t easy from Kitty nearly going full on anti-hero, while Puss loves being a hero without realization. But, Salma did a nice work of her role.

Now lets get to the new characters in the movie.

First is Perrito (voiced by Harvey Guillén), a friendly and naive dog that he’s obviously made for being a comedic role. I find him average, sure I did laugh at some of his jokes, despite he’s meant to helping Puss and Kitty to be together. I appreciate for his motive to our heroes, but the downside is that he’s obviously meant to be like Donkey, but for Eddie Murphy’s Donkey, he’s not nowhere perfectly funny as Shrek’s unlikely sidekick, I mean, I know it wasn’t Harvey’s fault, he did a nice and maybe funny of his role, but its just the way he’s meant to be the doggy version of Donkey, he’s just nowhere better as Shrek’s Ass.

Finally, there are, not one, not two, but three villains with different motives, even though I wasn’t as sure at first, but they’re pretty fascinating and probably better than three(?) villains Spider-Man 3 (the one I reviewed before).

Lets starts with Goldilocks (voiced by Florence Pugh) and her three bears crime family with Baby Bear (voiced by Samson Kayo), Mama Bear (voiced by Olivia Colman) and Papa Bear (voiced by Ray Winston). These guys are obviously mention the plot convenience for the Wishing star to our hero, despite they’re not only for Wishing Star, but also for hunting down Puss. However, their motives is to get the wishing what Goldi cared so much about one thing, adoptive family like the bears, which instead of being scared in a classic story, she wants to be together with them, because she cared about them so much since her childhood (Well at least they have a heart), but the bears, while they also have a heart, they also have some funny moments. And yes, I know they’re pretty different compare when they used to in Shrek back then, but they have an improvement change.

Next we have “Big” Jack Horner (voiced by John Mulaney), the factory pastry owner and crime lord who’s full of himself, mainly getting magic from his wish for… You know, boosting his ego. I find him an ok villain, even though I may not familiar over Jack Horner for licking thumb from chunk of pie, but its pretty fascinating he has a magic bag of collecting many of fairy tale weapons. While he’s a big fat egotistic pastry owner, Mulaney did a fine work of his role.

And the last one that I saved the best is none other than the Big, Bad, Wolf (voiced by Wagner Moura), this guy is the more devious, daring and the most blood thirsty hunter we’ve ever seen with white fur covered from his outfit, a bloody eyes and carrying double-bladed glaive, he’s easily disturbed me how how horrifying and scary he is for his weapon and is fearing whisper whenever he shows up at Puss’s biggest fear. And he also have a plot revealing for who he is, but im not gonna spoil it, because he’s too good to be a deadly villain for being a scary bounty hunter over Puss and Moura did a pretty good work of his role.

There are few characters left in the cast, but I decided to skip ahead to the end. But, interesting note, it also has some Easter Eggs characters, im sure some of you can recognized some scenes, eh?

While some are flawed that didn’t match as before, but the characters has a nice change, well-written, fun and nice work of their roles, along with welcome return like Banderas.

And now for my final opinion of this film

Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is easily one of Dreamworks’s best film in modern era, while it has one flaw like one bellow average character, but its all thanks to nice updated animation for inspired from Sony’s animated Spider-Man movie, a well-written story for mix of comedy and emotion and the returning characters and the new ones are pretty good to invest.

While I like The Bad Guys, but I think Puss in Boots’ sequel is probably better than before for its welcome return of Shrek series, like maybe this one might as well be on Number 2 or 3 in my top list of best movie of the year 2022. This is definitely a must watch film (maybe along with The Bad Guys), since again, 2022 was Dreamworks’ best comeback for their bigger and better films then what they used to in 2010s.

For my rating, im gonna giving it a near perfect 9/10, along with earning Trophy of Success for Dreamworks’ best comeback.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out