Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Review

DreamWorks is clearly in a new era, as evidenced by their new title card that shows off all their major characters. Despite how horrible of a decision the rebrand is, DreamWorks is upping the quality of its films. Puss in Boots is a huge step in the right direction, not only for DreamWorks, but for all animated films. Puss in Boots is a film that’s not only appealing and easy to understand for children, but it also keeps its adult audience entertained and enthralled. This is a heavy contrast to the new show from HBO/Warner Brothers, Velma, which was created on the idea that adult animation must be edgy and cynical.

We open the film with a Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) on top of the world. “The Legend that laughs in the face of death” seems to have everything going his way until he dies, putting him onto his last life. He is then set on a quest to find the Last Wish, where he is pitted against Jack Horner (John Mullaney), Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the 3 Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo), and the looming threat of Death (Wagner Moura), who is constantly trying to take the final life of the hero. Puss is paired with his former lover Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and a little dog that just wants friends (Harvey Guillen).

    Antonio Banderas is always the highlight when it comes to movies staring Puss in Boots. A lot of fun references come from the fact that Banderas played the titular hero Zorro in the film series The Mask of Zorro, which Puss in Boots is loosely based off of. In this film, he even goes as far as using his sword to quickly write a P on walls, in the same way that Zorro slashes Zs. The design of Puss in Boots is also new in this film. The studio settled on a more cartoonish look of the cat instead of the realistic style they had previously used. In my opinion, this is a huge step in the right direction. The DreamWorks animators clearly had passion for this film, and it's clear as you watch how the music interacts with the movements of characters.
   
The connection of sound to characters is taken to the maximum with the character Death. The whistle of death creates beautiful pivots in the tone and direction of scenes in a way that doesn’t feel corny or overly forced. Every scene with Death is packed with stellar dialogue and well thought out action. I believe wholeheartedly that Death is one of the best villains that DreamWorks has ever created. He works as the perfect vessel to carry the main message of the film in a way that’s easy to understand.

   
Part of what makes this film work for children and adults alike is the fact that the theme is easy to find and applies to anyone, regardless of age. Puss’s panic attacks show an incredibly realistic depiction of a very real event that affects a lot of people. The film's graceful depiction of how to help people who are struggling is a wonderful lesson for everyone. The main theme of the film is even easier to understand than that: Live your life to the fullest.

   
Overall, I had very few issues with this film, the majority being corny lines of dialogue. Even then, the examples are few and far between. I think that both this and Guiermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio are prime examples of how an animated film can appeal to both children and adults. Both of these films will be strong contenders for best animated film at the Oscars this year. These films should be used to argue that animated films should be compared on the same level as regular films.