Rated: PG
Directed by: Joel Crawford
Story by: Tommy Swerdlow and Tom Wheeler
Screenplay by: Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow
Produced by: Mark Swift, p.g.a
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Olivia Colman, Harvey Guillén, Samson Kayo, Anthony Mendez, Wagner Moura, John Mulaney, Florence Pugh, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ray Winstone.
‘Puss In Boots is never afraid.’
He’s a fearless hero loved by all, most especially himself.
Puss (Antonio Banderas) has nine lives. But how many times has Puss in Boots died?
Thinking back there’s the card cheating death, the I can fly death… To name a few. He thinks, four?
No, it’s eight.
And now with a bounty on his head, nothing new, there’s a red-eyed wolf (Wagner Moura) tracking him that actually stands a chance at defeating the, until now charmed, Puss.
For the first time, this fearless ginger cat that can sing, dance and wield a sword like the best of them, feels his fur rise.
The red-eyed bounty hunter can smell his hear.
Puss in Boots, for once in his many lives, is afraid.
The Last Wish is another colourful explosion from DreamWorks; a side story to the Shrek Universe, the film is also introduced as a fairy tale.
And like the Shrek films, it’s a fairy tale with a difference: Goldilocks now Goldi and her three bears, Little Jack Horner now Big Jack Horner. Although, he still tastes pies by using his big thumb.
And then there’s the wishing star that falls from space to the earth.
To find the star is to find one last wish (hence the title) to be granted by the one who finds the star.
Everyone wants that wish.
Except for Perrito (Harvey Guillén). He’s a deranged chuahua who’s ridiculously happy with his lot in life when he really shouldn’t be.
Then there’s the old flame of Puss, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault). She has her reasons.
And of course, Puss, who for the first time appreciating that his life may end, wants to wish to start his nine lives all over again.
That’s the foundation and running thread through the story – to be happy with what you have, to enjoy the one life given.
It’s all a bit sweet, Perrito, AKA the wanna-be-therapy-dog, hilarious.
But the humour didn’t always hit the mark for me.
There’s some adult moments with Puss not wanting to be a lap cat, his descent into the domesticated life of a pet illustrated to the soundtrack of, ‘The Doors’, This is The End.
And that red-eyed bounty hunter is genuinely creepy. In a good way.
The trio of SoftPaws, Puss and Perrito has a good dynamic to get through the challenges on their quest for that last wish; so the story although simple at times worked and sometimes not.
The twist of the traditional fairy tale characters didn’t always tickle: Goldi (Florance Pugh) and her three bear crime family just didn’t get there; although sweet, it was all a bit annoying.
My nephew and I agree on 3 1/2 stars: a good movie overall with explosive animation and not always funny bits.