Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

2/1/2023

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish had a lot to live up to as most of my critic and casual friends have been praising the film, and for the most part the film delivers. From the opening frames, the unique art style fills the screen and is incredibly captivating. There is some excellent combination of 3D animation with 2D styles that I have not seen before. The combat frame rate shift was also a nice touch that worked better than I was expecting. Action was top notch with some incredible set pieces and superb choreography. The Last Wish deals with some pretty heavy themes for an animated children's movie. Death is something that all humans will have to face which was handled in such a nuanced and mature way here. From panic attacks to haunting imagery, death looms large throughout the entir

2/5/2023

I did not expect the sequel to a decent spin-off Dreamworks film from over a decade ago to be one of the most poignant, introspective, genuinely hilarious, and heartwarming films of the year. But here we are. After an overly cheesy, somewhat clunky opening sequence, The Last Wish very quickly begins developing its zany assortment of characters into distinct quirky personalities with sympathetic desires and clear goals. The film juggles several character arcs and it's almost miraculous how it successfully handled all of them with proper set up and satisfying, emotionally weighty payoffs. The screenplay is wacky, witty, and also bursting with heart as it deals with weighty themes of trusting others and finding purpose in any circumstances. And it tackles these themes in ways that are a

2/9/2023

I can't think for a minute that this would have worked at all, had it not for been for the entertainingly over-the-top voice talents of Antonio Banderas in the title roll. His cat is a sort of combination of Cyrano de Bergerac and Casanova - full of flair, dashing and adept with his flourishing blade. Until, that is, he has a run-in with a church bell that brings him face to face with his mortality. He has only one of his nine lives left, and death is poised to come claim him! Shattered, he seeks refuge in a home for cats where he encounters "Perrito" - a small, naive and lost little dog who is determined to befriend him. Meantime, the not so little "Jack Horner" and "Goldilocks" and her three bears are looking for a map that will guide them to a wishing star that, well, it does what it sa

3/11/2023

This one sort of slipped through the cracks didn't it? I mean, it has a very good, very heartwarming story that helps define a character's growth over the length of the plot. It has a story about hope and sacrifice and struggle. It is a good movie. How does a movie this good get made today? Isn't this sort of the opposite of everything that current Hollywood stands for? Where is the strong female lead replacing Puss in Boots as the hero? Where are the identity politics? Where is the nonstop shaming of Straight White Men? Where is the depiction of half the country as absolute evil? How can they make a western movie that doesn't shame the west at every possible turn? I have absolutely no idea how this could have been made, but what I can say is that it is fantastic, it

8/3/2023

Really good movie better then the first. I loved the beard it was pretty funny looking. The storyline was way better then part one.

9/18/2024

A sequel miles better than the (good) original - that's a rarity! Those behind <em>'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'</em> absolutely smashed it out the park with this one. I had heard murmurs of hype about it so was expecting it to be very good, yet it still managed to surpass my expectations. It features a great story with well utilised characters, of which there are quite a few. Soon after hitting play I wasn't actually sure about the animation, for one Puss himself looked different to how I remember him from <em>'Shrek'</em>. However, those thoughts quickly disappeared because the style is, in fact, gorgeous. You can tell the people making this had heart in it, rather than just milking the IP for another installment. Antonio Banderas remains a joy as Puss in Boots, a character tha