One of the best movies to come out in cinemas in 2022 was no doubt Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, an animated work by Dreamworks Studios. It’s supposed to be a sequel to Puss in Boots, a spin-off series to Shrek, however, even a person who hasn’t watched the 1st movie or its main series Shrek, can enjoy. Just looking up reviews will bombard you with good things about the movie, and our opinion is no different!
To convince you to watch the movie for yourself (without spoilers of course), we’ll split this review into different aspects which may attract you about the movie, namely: Visuals, Story, and Cats!
Visuals
We went into the movie blind, only knowing little about the trailers and not much more, so when the opening scene of the movie comes out swing with the gorgeous water colour, 2D-animation-like visuals, we were awed immediately! The movie fully utilizes its medium as an animation to create a very vibrant colour palette & very exaggerated action sequences which you cannot get in live action films.
One comparison that people have drawn is to Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, with its similar colouring and animation style. If you love the style of that movie, give Puss in Boots a go, it won’t disappoint!
Story
This was the aspect which most people were surprised by because it came out genuinely good. In today’s Hollywood where plot is increasingly sidelined for something else (spectacles, representation or nostalgia-bait), it’s really refreshing to watch a movie that is under 2 hours long with a well-crafted plot!
We follow Puss in Boots, a legend who laughs at the face of death, as he goes on an epic journey to wish upon a star to regain his lives (Cats have 9, and Puss is on his last!). A simple children’s fairy tale plot, but the emotions involved really elevate it. Trust, familial bond, humility, and mortality are all prominent aspects of the story that make the characters feel “human”.
Cats
With a movie called Puss in Boots, it’s a given that there are cats, and a lot of them too. We’ve talked about the visuals, but the cats deserve special mention, ie Puss (in Boots) and Kitty Softpaws, the 2 main cats of the movie.
Left: Puss in Boots 1, Right: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
After looking up the original Puss in Boots movie, while not bad looking cats, comparted to the smoother cartoonish art style of Puss in Boots 2, there is no contest. The defocus from realistic fur makes the cats look neater, just like the cats in most of our memories. (And not the messy furballs they are!)
The cat behavior displayed is also a fun addition. Like when Kitty lands, she lands on her paws, or when Puss is on edge, his fur is on edge too. Small details like that really show the film maker’s passion and care for the movie, and for cats!
Hopefully this enticed you to watch the movie, either catching it in cinemas in time, or when it comes out elsewhere! Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is an enjoyable movie for all ages, possibly the best family cinema experience to be had!