I had liked the 2011 Puss in Boots better than anything else associated with Shrek, so I was a little disappointed at its reception. The Netflix series, which has the same IMDb rating at the moment, didn't sustain my interest for long. When TLW came later than any other DreamWorks sequel, I had to wonder why it was so much more popular. So I finally got the gumption to go to a theater again.
When the Zorro-like feline bandit (Antonio Banderas) loses his eighth life, he finally starts to fear death -- which, indeed, approaches him in the form of a red-eyed, sickle-wielding wolf (Wagner Moura). He decides to live like a normal cat for a crazy cat lady (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), until Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo) come hoping to enlist his help in swiping a magic map to the legendary Wishing Star in the dreaded Dark Forest. Rather than join them, he sets out to claim the one wish for himself so he can gain extra lives. But the Bear crime family aren't his only rivals. Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault) returns, still sore at him for jilting her. And then there's insatiably greedy magnate Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney), who has no special abilities of his own but has hired a Baker's Dozen of minions he regards as expendable and purchased an impressive array of fairy tale accessories.
Puss and Kitty do work together most of the time, uncertain how to feel about each other. Rounding out their party is an abandoned yet bubbly little dog they call Perrito (Harvey Guillén), who won't take a hint when he's unwelcome. He doesn't always carry his own weight, but his friendliness does come in handy, and his cuteness rivals theirs. The only moderately major character who might be more innocent is the conscience cricket (Kevin McCann) thanklessly trying to steer Jack with his best Jimmy Stewart impression.
As the franchise goes, this entry has a considerable number of casualties, generally unrealistic and played for laughs. There's also some of the signature vulgarity, tho every word more offensive than "crap" is actually bleeped. My main warning for concerned parents is that the wolf does get scary, when he's not comically casual. (I appreciate the humor more as a relief than anything else.)
The art has shifted a bit, at least from time to time, with choppy action reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I don't take it as uncharacteristic corner-cutting; it's for stylistic flair. And possibly a reduction in viewer dizziness.
Part of the fun comes in the magic of the forest, which changes tremendously depending on who last touches the unfurled map. And thanks largely to Jack's collection, we get a lot more classic references than in the 2011 feature. They get pretty darn colorful, literally and figuratively, if not creative.
The story is formulaic, to be sure, but not exhausted. Indeed, I welcome this formula. Details aren't telegraphed enough to bore me when they come; they just feel tightly woven. The overarching moral values are solid too, as long as you don't pay the thefts, however Robin Hood-like, any mind. Puss isn't alone in learning a good lesson.
I won't call TLW a classic, but I'm glad it happened. It should be worth the 102 minutes for anyone over six.
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