It has been 12 years since the last Shrek movie and 11 years since the first and only spin-off film of the franchise, so naturally, I wasn’t all that excited for Puss in Boots 2. I’m here to admit that I was wrong to doubt this film, because it’s just about everything a Shrek fan could’ve hoped for. While the first Puss in Boots was a decent enough spin-off at the time, this film takes the character a step further and gives the lovable fur-ball an unexpected amount of depth and meaningful character development. Antonio Banderas is charming as ever as the voice of Puss, but this time around he brings an added layer of maturity to the character, as the film tests his ego and self pride in quite a few interesting ways. Salma Hayek is back as Kitty Softpaws and her chemistry with Puss is even better than it was in the first movie. The animation and artistry is also 10 times more inventive here, utilizing both 24 FPS and 12 FPS for the fight scenes just like Into the Spiderverse did. The supporting cast really gets to shine, with Harvey Guillen’s Perro providing comic relief for the good guys and John Mulaney’s hilariously narcissistic villain Big Jack Horner laying down some of the most outrageously funny moments in the Shrek franchise yet. Florence Pugh as Goldilocks along with the three bears are also fine additions, but it’s Wagner Moura as The Big Bad Wolf who poses a genuine threat to Puss and gives off an ominous grim reaper vibe that will most likely frighten younger viewers. The film has good messages for all ages about friendship, fear of death, kindness, our obsession with materialistic things, and thankfully never ventures into divisive identity politics that have isolated so many audience members this year from a good amount of Disney’s animated content. It has a heart, a good moral lesson for our hero, and a surprising amount of wholesome emotion in the last act. There are a few repetitive jokes that could’ve been trimmed and a sense of predictability with the story direction, but what makes it work is the fantastic execution, gorgeous animation, flawless voice work, and whip smart editing. Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is simply great family entertainment. To me, this is far more enjoyable than any Disney animated film of recent times and ends on a note that will get any Shrek fan excited for what HOPEFULLY comes next. You know we live in weird times when I of all people am in higher demand for a Shrek 5 than any Marvel or DC movie.
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