Puss In Boots: The Last Wish - Lands on its Feet Like a Boss

 

Streaming on Peacock 

For Rent on Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon, and YouTube 

    It's unsurprising that Puss In Boots would be the one character from the Shrek series to receive his own spin-off. A dashing adventurer with an uncertain past who just happens to be a Cat with a penchant for fine Cream. Not to mention being voiced by one of Hollywood's coolest-sounding performers, Antonio Banderas. What is somewhat surprising is that the folks over at Dreamworks would use this character to tell a compelling, thoughtful, and mature story exploring themes of mortality and Death, often ignored in works aimed at younger audiences. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish may not be the best-animated film aimed at kids exploring these themes, but it is a wonderfully crafted and well-told story that delivers more nuance than one might have expected. Despite a few tired and unnecessary hiccups here and there, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a delight in every way. This is one fairy-tale adventure worthy of your excitement. 

    The story follows the legendary fearless hero Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) enjoying his life of adventure and laughing in the face of Death. But when he finds himself on the last of his nine lives and literally faces Death himself (Wagner Moura), the fear of his own mortality finally catches up to him. After hiding for a while, he learns of a magical star in the dark forest with the power to grant one wish. Puss In Boots decides to seek out the star to wish for more lives. Along the way, he runs into his old fling Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and makes a new friend Perrito (Harvey Guillén), an orphan puppy with ambitions of becoming a therapy dog. Together, they will journey to find the wishing star and, along the way, make some unexpected & profound discoveries about the many wonders right before them. 

    This movie is astonishing! It's the kind of film that makes you think it's going to be one thing and then pulls the rug out from under you, making you think, "oh, you're really going there, aren't you?" If there was ever an animated feature to come out of the Hollywood system in recent years that showcased the possibilities of animation as a medium, this would be one of them. 

    Speaking of the animation, it is absolutely stellar! Everything from the character designs to the various motion styles offers an incredible presentation. One particular style to note is the change in framerate during the action scenes, properly lifted from Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. The visuals also make beautiful use of colors and unconventional animation styles. While it may come off as occasionally fast-paced, it's never to the point of annoyance. The film maintains a decent pace throughout. 

    The script is sharp and surprisingly nuanced. It is on par with the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road in terms of quality. With everything fine-tuned well enough to be perfectly utilized with nothing wasted. 

    The voice acting is stellar. Antonio Banderas delivers his expected romantic charm to his performance while also delivering a strong sense of vulnerability. His talents do not go to waste here. Salma Hayek also provides much of the film's wittiest moments and maintains her presence as a beautiful force of nature. 

    The MVP Awards go to two characters: Death and Perrito the Dog. 

    Death is, hands down, one of the best villains in recent memory. This is the kind of villain we don't see too often anymore, and it's always a treat when they make their return. Wagner Moura provides a vocal performance teaming with a gleeful yet ominous presence. The character design alone is a beautiful demonstration of visual storytelling. 

    Perrito is the heart of the film! Everything from his backstory, design, goals, and personality, all the way to Marvey Guillén's performance, makes for a beloved character that I initially thought I would despise. Most of the time, side dog characters in animated movies are relegated to the annoying comic relief that is neither comedic nor relieving. Perrito provides the proper amount of comedic relief (well delivered) while retaining a sympathetic presence throughout the story.

    Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a fantastic watch with great characters, stunning visuals, and superb storytelling, which are incredibly hard to come by from the broken Hollywood system. If you haven't already, give this one a watch. It is unquestionably worthy of your time. 

    Now I can't wait to see how many Death cosplayers will appear at conventions this year. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading. 

Meow!