Puss in Boots: Last Wish

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The first part of Puss in Boots was really a fantastic experience for me. They did a perfect cutout job for the movie Shrek. And then they amazed us once more with the second part; The last wish. So in this sequel, Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll.

He has burned through eight of his nine lives. So Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical last wish and restore his nine lives.

So Antonio Banderas returns as the voice lead, and he's joined by some very talented voices, including Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, Harvey Guillén, John Mulaney, Wagner Mora, Samson Cahill, Olivia Coleman and Ray Winstone. They all kill it collectively and individually, and they really lean into the characters, creating amazing personas. Now, we've seen the 3D animation from DreamWorks, and it's typically astounding.

But for this movie, they've incorporated some other visual styles along with the 3D. I think it's phenomenal to watch. So many of the backgrounds have a painted feel to them.

And then at times, so does actually some of the characters and their outfits. And so when this is mixed with the 3D computer graphics, it's both odd to the eyes and beautiful all at the same time. There are many moments throughout this also that resemble anime, where characters will kind of just streak through the screen in an action pose.

So then they have these lines trailing behind them to just show speed. Now, it's a lot of fun. And for me, it elevated this from being a typical run of the mill digitally animated movie into something visually spectacular because of when these characters and especially with Antonio Banderas as the voice when they came into the zeitgeist, there probably is a wide age range that this is going to appeal to.

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So even for somebody in their mid to late 40s, this still has some appeal. And then the littles, I think they're probably going to be very excited to see this because I mean, come on, any decent animation movie with action and comedy will grab their attention. But with this, there are some more mature themes that are addressed that could cause the kiddos to lose a little bit of interest.

The movie is still relatively short in an hour and 40 minutes. But because there are some emotionally deep moments within this, the content will most likely go right over the younger audience's heads. And that's not really a bad thing.

I mean, it's just something more to be aware of. And this tackles themes of death, regret, family and belonging and contentment. And surprisingly, these are all handled really well and they resonate with some emotional punch.

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And there is a melancholy that surrounds the first portion of the film as Puss learns of just his one remaining life. And while there's company that's sprinkled throughout, the main focus is watching him learn to come to terms with this and what it means for his swashbuckling lifestyle. Harvey Grant, for me, he steals the show as he plays this little dog called Perro or Perrito.

There's a simplicity of the character and also a mass of innocence that instantly endeared him to me. Plus, I mean, he's bubbly and situationally funny. And then the voice work matches the cutesy animation just perfectly.

I love also how his story weaves through the main arc to complement and add conflict, leading to dilemmas for a couple of the players. As we weave through the fairy tale setting, a few different tales come into play. And one of them, Jack Horner, involves comedian John Mulaney, who absolutely dives into his role with full gusto.

I mean, he's over the top in all the best ways, creating a character that's obnoxious, petulant, and full of bravado. He becomes one of the main villains, and he's formidable while also being hilarious. And the setups with him are also ridiculous, but they fit so well with how his character is visually crafted and then vocally played out.

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I think one of my favorite sequences in the film is the final push that takes up just about the last third of the story. Now, all of the characters are vying for something and they're jockeying for the lead position. And the way the settings are crafted are wildly creative and very imaginative.

The way these work with each of the characters also adds a huge layer of fun and complexity to the journey. I had a feeling during some of this that made it feel a little bit longer than it actually was. I can't really pinpoint a specific scene or a moment that was dragging, but I did begin to feel the time passing just a little bit.

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And really, the only reason to make note of this is if you happen to be taking small children, there is a chance that they might get a tiny bit squirrely. But otherwise, this isn't much of a big deal at all. I mean, it's not like I was bored or that there were 15 minutes that were just completely unnecessary.

Puss in Boots, The Last Wish features stunning animation with an excellent voice cast. I rate the movie a 9 out of 10; a rating I rarely give movies. While the themes may be too deep for younger audiences, the action and humor is certainly going to delight them.

And even though the runtime is relatively short, there is a slowness that's felt throughout some of this, losing a bit of momentum so that the time is noticeable. This is still a fun sequel and a great option for any family movie night.