Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – A Darker Sequel (Early Review)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the long-awaited sequel to 2011’s Puss in Boots and marks the first entry in the Shrek franchise in over 11 years. The film takes place years after the events of the Shrek films and follows Puss (Banderas) as he discovers his love for adventure and peril has finally taken a toll on him. Once he discovers he’s burned through eight of his nine lives, his fear of death starts to consume him as he sets out on a journey to find a mythical wishing star so he can restore his nine lives. On this journey he encounters both new and old friends including fan-favorite Kitty Softpaws (Hayek) and must face off against several new and threatening villains.

The original Puss in Boots is one of DreamWorks Animation’s better and more consistently enjoyable films of the 2010’s even if it never quite reached the same heights as DreamWorks best works. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish isn’t only even better and a big improvement over the original but it’s easily one of DreamWorks best in a very long time and might even be the best animated film to come out this year. The film delivers a much darker and surprisingly more mature sequel that tackles themes of death and mortality all while still being an insanely fun, hilarious and fast-paced ride that audiences of any age can enjoy.

For a character that was introduced to audiences nearly 20 years ago and has made several appearances since, it’s kind of amazing at all the new directions the filmmakers take Puss here as they give him a fully fledged arc that doesn’t feel redundant and is one that audiences haven’t seen before. This is Puss at his most vulnerable and mature and it’s nice to see the character have actual growth by the time the film ends. It’s also great to see Kitty Softpaws once again and given a hefty amount to do. The dynamic of her and Puss is one of the stronger elements of both films and adds even more heart and layers to the characters. Meanwhile, all the new additions fit perfectly into this world especially Guillén as Perrito who completely steals the show and has some of the films funniest moments.

The animation style has been changed quite a bit since the first film and feels much more in line with DreamWorks most recent film, The Bad Guys, and most notably Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for which this clearly took inspiration from in all the best ways. This style fits the world and characters perfectly and is absolutely stunning to behold on a big screen, feeling like a storybook come to life. The action sequences are all fantastic as well as the animation style makes them standout. It’s also nice to see a film geared mostly towards families that is not afraid to include curse words, character deaths, dark story beats and jokes that will clearly go over heads of some younger audiences again. There’s a few blink and you’ll miss references/Easter eggs to the Shrek films that are handled really well and are sure to generate a good bit of excitement and nostalgia.

Banderas is once again perfect as Puss and delivers another great performance. Even though he’s played this character multiple times throughout the years, he always puts so much passion and energy into the character that translates perfectly to Puss and adds new layers to him. Hayek and Guillén make for big standouts while John Mulaney as the films primary antagonist, Jack Horner,  is a lot of fun as Mulaney is clearly having a blast. Wagner Moura as The Big Bad Wolf is easily one of the best villains this entire franchise has ever seen ad his voice work gives the film a real threatening presence throughout. Even though they’re not the main focus and somewhat come and go throughout, it’s very enjoyable to see the likes of Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo as Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Honestly, there’s very little wrong with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish aside from a few tiny nitpicks. Maybe it goes on for a touch too long but it’s always entertaining to watch and its fast pace ensures that it never drags. Quite possibly the best film in this franchise since Shrek 2, it brings back the clever humor and satire that made the earlier entries of the franchise so appealing. In the end, this is the type of animation that anyone of any age can enjoy and is destined to make a killing at the box office come this Holiday season. Who would’ve thought DreamWorks would overtake Disney in 2022. Hope that quality remains consistent from here on out.

still courtesy of Universal Pictures

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/