puss in boots: the last wish
★★★★
starring: antonio banderas, salma hayek, florence pugh, and harvey guillen
REVIEWER: nick tonkin
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was directed by Joel Crawford (The Croods: A New Age) and is an absolutely excellent animated family film that boasts a stacked cast of voice actors, with Antonio Banderas returning as Puss and joined by Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney just to name a few.
Puss in Boots has become a legend. His reputation so far precedes him and he is enjoying his fame a little too much. After many adventures and brushes with peril, he has come to the last of his nine lives and this point is driven home hard through an encounter with a white wolf bounty hunter. The wolf proves himself to be more than a match for the swashbuckling hero, and Puss finds himself defeated, humbled and on the run. He puts down his sword and resigns himself to life as a pet cat at Mama Luna’s house. Here, Puss meets a small dog dressed as a cat whom he christens Perrito.
When the threat finds Puss at Mama Luna’s, Perrito joins him on the journey to find the Wishing Star, a magical provider of one wish to whoever proves themselves worthy by finding it. Puss desires the star to give him his 9 lives back to allow him to face off the wolf and regain his reputation, but he finds competition in both Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and crime boss “Big” Jack Horner (John Mulaney) who both seek the star for their own ends.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has an ace up its sleeve with such a cast list and an experienced director of animated films at the helm. However it doesn’t rest on this advantage. The wonderful design of the film takes influence from Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (that film’s director was attached to direct for a time) in combination with a painterly art style, the result evokes a feeling of a children’s storybook entirely fitting with the larger Shrek series’ connection to fables and classic stories.
It is a joy to look at, and thanks to its tight storytelling and genuinely funny humour, it’s a joy to watch too. The familiarity of the film’s narrative structure surprisingly isn’t a negative here, as the script allows for Puss to grow in a way that is endearing, believable and entertaining.
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It really sounds like everyone on screen is thoroughly enjoying themselves, giving Puss in Boots: The Last Wish an earnest good natured vibe, enhancing an already entirely enjoyable experience.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a joy; the film’s tight storytelling, humour and excellent cast combine beautifully with a charming design style to result in a wonderful experience for both young and old.
★★★★
