Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Arguably the best thing to come out of the Shrek franchise, the legendary hero Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) returns for a sequel to his 2011 solo film. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is exactly what you'd expect. Opening with a big action sequence, the script then sets up the main plot of the movie with Puss in Boots being down the the ninth, and last, of his nine lives. After a bit of hiding, the character reemerges learning of a wish that could restore his lives and his courage.

As with other Shrek films, the plot attempts to overfill the film with characters. Some of the new ones work, others are more hit and miss. The sequel does fall into a bit of a lull at one point but picks back up with the return of Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). Along with a nameless cheery chihuahua (Harvey Guillén), the trio will work together to beat Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears and the malevolent Jack Horner (John Mulaney) and his minions to the wish.

In a separate subplot, also tied to Puss' fear of death, we also get a giant wolf (Wagner Moura) tracking Puss and threatening to take his last life. The ominous figure often gets forgotten in the overstuffed sequel but will reappear from time to time and play a major role the climax of the film.

While not a great film, Puss in Boots is an enjoyable enough animated feature that does pick up momentum over its 100-minute running time. I'm not the biggest fan of some of the varied animated styles used at times, particularly the giant in the opening battle, but those didn't distract too much from my enjoyment. It's not in discussion with the best animated features of the year, but it should satisfy fans.

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• Title: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
• IMDb: link