It has been 12 long years since the last instalment from the Shrek franchise. 12 years. A sequel to the fun and yet forgettable Puss in Boots (2011) sounded like nothing to get too excited about. However, when I laid my eyes on the beloved bounty hunter fighting a giant in an animated style, reminiscent of 2018’s Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse, my anticipation was instantly heightened. After seeing this trailer I foolishly doubted the limits and success of this film. Never before has my immeasurable excitement been so greatly justified.
The animation of the film isn’t the only thing to be upgraded, as the titular Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) has never looked better. There is great nostalgia in seeing a staple of my childhood having a faithful and exceptional redesign. One that both makes the film more engaging and desirable to watch, but also allows for more emotion to be portrayed. This was a necessity due to the weight of the film itself. Unlike the prior Puss in Boots which didn’t delve deeply into any major themes, this film tackles mortality, the inevitability of death, and how to grieve and grow as a person. This sounds ridiculous for a film about a talking cat with a sword, but it works better than most blockbusters I have seen recently.
I don’t much care for optimistic, talking animal sidekicks and when I saw Harvey Guillen’s Perro, I feared that he would be this film’s downfall. However, it’s easy to quickly fall in love with this dog’s joyful naivety, and hopeful, yet comedically heart-breaking perspective on the adventure, and life itself. Another surprise was the involvement of Salma Hayek’s Kitty Soft Paws, a character significantly fleshed out and improved from her debut in the prior film. I honestly can’t wait to see more of these three protagonists.
When I think of Dreamwork’s films, I think of their traumatising villains and I’m delighted to say this film has antagonists bound to the animated hall of infamy. This is most prominent with Wagner Moura’s Big Bad Wolf, who terrified me so much, that I fear for younger audiences, and their parent’s bank accounts, as those therapy sessions aren’t going to be cheap. His large and imposing posture paired with his unbelievable skill makes him a constant and unnerving threat throughout. The wolf isn’t the only villain however, as he is joined by Goldilocks and the three bears, surprisingly fun and heart-warming characters, and Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney) who is one of the funniest bad guys I’ve seen in years.
Overall, I went into this film with my high glass ceiling that was shattered ten minutes into the film. It has easily cemented itself as one of the best films in the Shrek series and provided hope that DreamWorks can return to the high quality they were once known for. It will forever be funny to me, that James Cameron’s self-acclaimed masterpiece, ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’, which took 13 years to make, was critically overshone by the magnificence of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The legend will never die!
5/5
Image Credits – The MovieDB