Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

By: Mike Ward on Saturday, January 21

PG Running Time: 102 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • One of the great surprises of the 2022 movie season, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a fun sequel we never knew we needed.

  • Fun, a bit wild, and using different styles of animation, this Puss in Boots impresses visually, while it also entertains your hearts and minds.

  • Blends comedy, action, and some tender moments (the panic attack scene is a powerful memory), while also reuniting Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault in a winning and wonderful way.

NO

  • I suppose if you were not a fan of Shrek films or the previous Puss in Boots film from 2011, this may be of little to no interest to you.

  • Might feel imbalanced between comedy and action, as the film relies on action sequences a lot in the back half.

  • Though it has near unanimous acclaim, some feel the film is convoluted, borrows from other film concepts, and is thin on plot and story. Not my take, but it is a take that is out there.


OUR REVIEW

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the sequel I never thought I needed. Though a fan of the first Shrek films, where the Antonio Banderas-voiced “Puss in Boots” character first debuted, I was rather lackluster on the Banderas-led spinoff in 2011. Puss in Boots had a couple fun moments: some fun banter between Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault’s Kitty Softpaws and the “Oooohhh Cat,” who became a meme for a number of years on social media. However, the 2011 film is largely forgettable and nothing I have revisited since watching it all those years ago.

And so, imagine my surprise when minutes into the sequel I am laughing rather heartily. Or stepping back and admiring the different animation techniques used to establish characters and distinguish between feelings of fear, arrogance, and the normal look-and-feel of the Shrek and Shrek-adjacent movies. Banderas’ performance is full of energy and vitality. The movie begins at a brisk pace, packed with grand enthusiasm. Suffice to say, this film feels a whole lot different than its predecessor.

In The Last Wish, Puss learns he must live more carefully and with less brazen risk. After he is brought back by his doctor, following an unfortunate encounter with a massive bell, Puss realizes he has used up eight of his nine lives. With only one life left, Puss begins to rationalize changes he needs to make, while also encountering a Grim Reaper-style wolf (Wagner Moura), who haunts him seemingly at every turn.

Though it can feel intense, and younger viewers may have a need to snuggle up with someone they trust when the striking, menacing wolf arrives on screen, The Last Wish is largely a breeze. To hide away from the wolf, Puss hides out in a cat sanctuary, run by the sweet-tempered Mama Luna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). One of a few dozen cats overseen by Mama Luna, Puss resigns himself to being a housecat, giving up his swashbuckling, adventurous life for that of a plain old domestic. 

Over time, a new arrival, a chihuahua in disguise named Perrito (a scene-stealing Harvey Guillén), becomes an ally. The stakes amplify when Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) shows up, along with her Three Bears, to claim a ransom on Puss. When Puss learns that the opportunity to gain a wish comes in the form of “The Wishing Star,” he seeks to find the star, even if it means he runs up against another potential danger in “Big” Jack Horner, the large, grown-up version of “Little” Jack Horner, voiced by John Mulaney. 

Though kids will navigate this pretty easily, having a large number of villains threatening Puss becomes a bit much to manage. Goldilocks and the Three Bears (including Olivia Colman as Mama Bear), the Wolf, and Jack Horner all want to take Puss’ last life. I suppose something can be said about the deck being stacked against our proverbial feline hero, but the movie bogs down quite a bit when it tries to give weight and meaning to each villain’s story and journey towards ending Puss in Boots once and for all.

Hayek Pinault’s spitfire return as Kitty Softpaws, a love/hate love interest for Puss, is fun and Guillén, who you may know from the FX series, “What We Do in the Shadows,” is tremendous. The animation is especially impressive, mixing different styles and looks, depending on the nature of the threat and the scene. While Jack Horner looks bulbous and large (a bit over-the-top though, if being honest), the Wolf has a stark, intense presence that feels different than anything else in the film. The Shrek franchise certainly has its distinctive presentation, which is visible here, but the backdrops and the details are much more enhanced than I remember.

Even when the story lags, or much of the action takes place in the center of the screen (a constant frustration with American animation), letting your eyes wander around and take in what’s in the background reaps some great rewards.

Maybe the bar was set low, but even with too many villains and a reliance on a few too many action and fight scenes, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is quite the fun surprise to uncover at year’s end. Director Joel Crawford, and co-director Januel Mercado, have found a way to make this character matter, and the adventures fairly meaningful, as we potentially find Puss and his friends reconnecting with some of their “old friends” again in the future.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anthony Mendez, Kevin McCann, Heidi Gardner, Bob Persichetti

Director: Joel Crawford
Co-Director: Januel Mercado
Written by: Paul Fisher, Tommy Swerdlow (screenplay); Tommy Swerdlow, Tom Wheeler (story)
Release Date: December 21, 2022
Universal Pictures