Puss In Boots Review: The Shrek franchise has never been able to match the star-studded heights of the original, which is also of questionable overall quality. The spin-off movie Puss in Boots, a very ugly and unfunny romp that is best left as a forgotten footnote of Dreamworks’ animated output, is the best example.
Though it seems unfair that it took the Shrek franchise six films to get here, Dreamworks Animation is having an excellent year. First, there was the unexpectedly entertaining heist antics of The Bad Guys, and now there is the Puss in Boots sequel, The Last Wish (out everywhere on December 21).
Puss (Antonio Banderas), proud of his storied status as an unstoppable hero, learns the horrifying truth that he has used up eight of his nine lives and may have to accept a lifelong death.
When Puss (Wagner Moura) is rattled after a run-in with a menacing and sinister bounty-hunter wolf, he withdraws into a bearded, depressed reclusion where he attracts the unwanted friendship of a nameless therapeutic support dog (Harvey Guillén).
This solitude did not stop the Three Bears crime family, led by Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and comprised of Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo, from searching for Puss to hire him to find a lost wishing star’s location chart.
There is a race to reach the star before Goldilocks and the bears because Puss views this as a chance to wish his extinct lives back into existence. Along the way, he runs into the magically gluttonous Jack Horner (John Mulaney), both of whom have their own goals in finding the star, and his ex-girlfriend from the previous movie, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek, whose perpetual chemistry with Banderas was the only good thing about the last film).
The Last Wish manages to stay up with all its players with great pacing in the story and the action while having an undoubtedly busy narrative regarding characters and motivations.
The animation, which draws inspiration from various sources but is most immediately evocative of the advances pioneered in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, represents the most evident improvement from the previous movie.
The Last Wish’s use of both 2D and 3D animation complements its painterly storybook look effectively, allowing viewers to take in stunning landscapes in quiet periods while smoothly transitioning into fast-paced action that, ironically, takes inspiration from shonen anime.
The Last Wish is a particularly lively and dynamic spectacle that is having unironic fun with its grab bag of fairy tale pastiches without restricting itself to a retread of well-known characters and themes, especially for being the product of a franchise famed for its reflexive cynicism.
This is mainly because The Last Wish has much to say about its characters, especially Puss in Boots. In the end, this is a tale about embracing one’s death; for those who watched the original Shrek as teenagers, it may be a fitting storyline for a midlife crisis; however, it works just as well as a tale about an inner conflict that the whole family can appreciate.
Puss’ interactions with Kitty and the therapy dog start to take on a surprising weight as he realizes that his legendary status is not a replacement for interpersonal connection.
Goldilocks is a well-realized antagonist who has more in common with Puss than is initially apparent. None of these characters’ beats slow down the movie or take away from the spectacle; instead, they make it a better example of all-ages entertainment that doesn’t treat its viewers with disrespect.
Image Source: cinemablend
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Who Is The Cast of Puss In Boots?
- Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, a cat fugitive from the law trying to restore his reputation as a hero of San Ricardo.
- Salma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws, a street-savvy Tuxedo cat who is Puss’ female counterpart and love interest.
- Zach Galifianakis is Humpty Alexander Dumpty, the mastermind who intends to retrieve the Golden Eggs from the one-of-a-kind Goose.
- Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris as Jack and Jill, respectively, are murderous outlaw married couples.
- Constance Marie as Imelda, Puss’ human adoptive mother
- Mike Mitchell as Andy “Jack” Beanstalk
- Guillermo del Toro, as Commandante, the military leader of San Ricardo, was dispatched to capture Puss.
- Chris Miller as Little Boy Blue, Friar Miller, Prison Guard, Manuel, and Rafael
Puss In Boots Review: How Much Does It Cost?
Image Source: nytimes
For a total worldwide revenue of $555 million, the movie made $149.3 million in North America and $405.7 million in other countries. After Kung Fu Panda 2 ($665.7 million) and Cars 2 ($559.9 million), it was the third-highest-grossing animated film of 2011 and the eleventh-highest-earning movie overall.
The movie earned $9.6 million on its first release day in North America, leading at the box office. The film broke Saw III’s record ($33.6 million) for the highest Halloween weekend opening ever, with $34.1 million during its first weekend. It remained at the top with $33.1 million and a 3% decline over the second weekend. It had surpassed Twister at this time and experienced the slightest fall of any non-holiday movie.
It grossed $17.2 million in its first weekend outside North America, placing it second. With weekend box office receipts of $2.98 million in Australia and £1.98 million in the UK, the movie debuted at the top spot in both countries.
With $47.1 million from 40 countries over its seventh weekend, it took the top place at the international box office. It was the ninth-highest-grossing movie outside of North America in 2011.
After North America, it generated the most revenue from Russia and the CIS (50.6 million dollars), Germany (33.9 million dollars), and France and the Maghreb region (33.2 million dollars).
