AFTER close to 20 years since Puss’s debut in Shrek 2 and more than 10 years since the first Puss in Boots movie, the leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns.
DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as the daring outlaw discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. In Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Puss (Antonio Banderas) has burned through eight of his nine lives, and now he has to embark on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives.
But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis: the captivating Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault).
In this sequel, Puss makes a new friend along the way – a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt, Perrito (Harvey Guillén). Together, the trio will have to stay one step ahead of the competition – Goldi (Florence Pugh) and the three bears; Jack Horner; and the big, bad bounty hunter, Wolf (Wagner Moura).
At first glance, the animation can be a bit distracting. The animation is highly stylised with staccatoed choppy frame rate during the action scenes, giving it a 2.5D storybook look. This style might come off particularly odd for some, given how well-established the Shrek franchise’s realistic look has become over the past two decades.
That, I loved the story. As a cat person, I really like how they animated cats here, and any cat owner would know what I’m talking about. Besides the cuteness factor, the whole movie was so heart-wrenchingly touching – I think I cried about four times.
The waterworks start early on too, and I’d always appreciate films that makes me feel something.
The movie touches on friendship, family, and what’s important in life. This sequel was absolutely worth the decade-long wait and I’d say it’s as memorable and impactful as its predeceding Shrek series, which has shaped my childhood, and even became a notable meme with Gen Zs on social media.
The Last Wish, as its name implies, deals with the idea of death, which is something very real in life, and I love when animation films show the nuances of characters having fear, hope, and all the very human feelings in this poignant, surprisingly mature story.
I loved the development they did for all the characters, which also showed how the supporting characters grew alongside each other. And of course, the subtle references to the Shrek universe was the icing on the cake. My favourite character has to be the foolishly optimistic Perrito, Puss’s new friend.
All in all, it’s a great animated film for anyone of all ages, and is available in theatres now.
