Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

I can't think for a minute that this would have worked at all, had it not for been for the entertainingly over-the-top voice talents of Antonio Banderas in the title roll. His cat is a sort of combination of Cyrano de Bergerac and Casanova - full of flair, dashing and adept with his flourishing blade. Until, that is, he has a run-in with a church bell that brings him face to face with his mortality. He has only one of his nine lives left, and death is poised to come claim him! Shattered, he seeks refuge in a home for cats where he encounters "Perrito" - a small, naive and lost little dog who is determined to befriend him. Meantime, the not so little "Jack Horner" and "Goldilocks" and her three bears are looking for a map that will guide them to a wishing star that, well, it does what it says on the tin. The bears decide to track down our eponymous hero to help them procure it, but he and his feline rival "Kitty" (and their new doggy pal) decide to join forces and must face a series of tortuous escapades in the race to succeed in their quest. It must be 45 years since I last read the "Goldilocks" story and try as I might, I just couldn't remember it as it gradually evolves as one of the threads of this enjoyably crafted montage of fable and charisma. It's pretty action packed with Banderas proving his singing hasn't really improved much since "Evita" (1996). It's a family movie for sure with messages of loyalty, affection, determination etc.; but there is still enough in the dialogue for those older folks in the auditorium to raise a smile and keep it interesting for 100 minutes. The animation is super and this character driven adventure is well worth seeing on a big screen if you can. Maybe not one for tiny kids - but for us bigger ones, this is fun.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish had a lot to live up to as most of my critic and casual friends have been praising the film, and for the most part the film delivers. From the opening frames, the unique art style fills the screen and is incredibly captivating. There is some excellent combination of 3D animation with 2D styles that I have not seen before. The combat frame rate shift was also a nice touch that worked better than I was expecting. Action was top notch with some incredible set pieces and superb choreography. The Last Wish deals with some pretty heavy themes for an animated children's movie. Death is something that all humans will have to face which was handled in such a nuanced and mature way here. From panic attacks to haunting imagery, death looms large throughout the entire film and serves as a menacing villain. The journey our heroes take to confront this fear is very heartwarming and will resonant with most audience members. With most DreamWorks pictures, the comedy is targeted at both children and adults. I did find myself laughing out loud at plenty of jokes, but just as many landed flat for me. This would be more of an issue, but this is an incredibly balanced film with great action and dramatic moments that leave little room for a few flat jokes to make a large impact on my experience. I genuinely believe that this movie has restored the Shrek universe and can propel the future projects upward. Hype has officially been restored for Shrek 5! Score: 86% Verdict: Great

A sequel miles better than the (good) original - that's a rarity! Those behind <em>'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'</em> absolutely smashed it out the park with this one. I had heard murmurs of hype about it so was expecting it to be very good, yet it still managed to surpass my expectations. It features a great story with well utilised characters, of which there are quite a few. Soon after hitting play I wasn't actually sure about the animation, for one Puss himself looked different to how I remember him from <em>'Shrek'</em>. However, those thoughts quickly disappeared because the style is, in fact, gorgeous. You can tell the people making this had heart in it, rather than just milking the IP for another installment. Antonio Banderas remains a joy as Puss in Boots, a character that wouldn't be as memorable without him. Harvey Guillén comes in with a standout showing, I do think Perrito is the least interesting visually but the character (and voice) is what makes the dog a successful addition. John Mulaney (thought it was Zach Braff, ngl) is a positive newbie too. Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo are also pluses, as are Salma Hayek and Wagner Moura. Evidently, it's a quality cast. A minor shame we didn't get anyone big back from the original series, though I do approve with how this one concludes in that regard.