Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Composite Score: 85.52
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Directors: Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado
Writers: Paul Fisher, Tommy Swerdlow, and Tom Wheeler
Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family
MPAA Rating: PG for action/violence, rude humor/language, and some scary moments
Box Office: $481.08 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the sixth film in the Shrek franchise and the second of the spin-offs about the titular swashbuckling cat. The film follows Puss after he learns that he is on the last of his nine lives and seeks to restore the ones he has lost by retrieving the mythical Last Wish from a fallen wishing star. It features the voice talents of Antonio Banderas reprising the titular role and Salma Hayek reprising her role from the first Puss in Boots film – Kitty Softpaws – along with a slew of new performances from Harvey Guillén as their new companion Perrito, Florence Pugh as Goldilocks, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo as the Three Bears, John Mulaney as Jack Horner, and Wagner Moura as the mysterious bounty hunter Wolf. The film, which released late in 2022, earned critical acclaim almost immediately for its glorious animation and more mature story than the recent installments in the franchise, nearly unseating Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio as the winner of last year's Best Animated Feature Oscar in the process. It is a fun ride that, like so many of the best animated films in the past five years, showcases just how excellent animation is as a film medium.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
The Last Wish doesn’t falter much and really only struggles a bit in that it has chosen a fairly formulaic plot – the fetch quest. The individual arcs for each of the characters – not just Puss – do so much of the heavy lifting in the film’s narrative structure and audience engagement that the actual plot doesn’t have to be that original for the film to still work. As it stands, the plot of hero has to race villains to find an artifact of vast power that has some moral implications depending on how whichever character gets it chooses to use it isn’t the freshest or most interesting plot for a film. However, it keeps the main story easy enough to follow for any audience, which allows us to focus more on the characters and their development as they face down the various obstacles standing in their way. It might be a turn-off for people looking solely to the plot to keep them engaged, but with everything else going on in the film, I think it’s an easy drawback to look past.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
The Last Wish offers audiences yet another satisfying entry in the modern animation subgenre of high-octane action thrillers for families alongside the likes of the Spider-Verse films and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. Its blend of Dreamwork’s classic 3-dimensional animation style and the tight lines of 2-dimensional storybook type animation makes for some absolutely stunning action sequences, maybe the best that animation has yet offered. From the opening sequence with Puss fighting the rock giant and the mariachi band playing behind him to the heist at Jack Horner’s pie factory to the final showdown of all the players at the wishing star, every sequence is full of frenetic energy and attention to detail that give it the feel of a true action film, not just your run-of-the-mill kid’s flick. Every character gets to shine when their time comes with unique designs and movements that set each one apart from other figures in animation. I love it.
It’s not just the action that keeps you coming back for more in The Last Wish, though; there’s also some of the most rewarding character development that I can remember in the recent history of the genre. Each character – Puss, Kitty, Perrito, Goldi, Mama, Baby, Wolf, and Jack Horner (okay, maybe we’re missing Papa’s arc) – has an arc they follow that is unique from the other characters. Puss has to choose whether to accept or continue to outfox his own mortality – a surprisingly mature theme that the film’s story handles perfectly. Kitty has to relearn how to trust others or choose to remain a loner for the rest of her life. Perrito has to find the family that he has never had. Goldi has to choose between the promise of a perfect family or staying with the found family that she currently has. Mama gets to showcase motherhood by choosing to support her children in their pursuits even if she doesn’t fully agree with their choices. Baby has to learn to accept his role in the family rather than trying to emulate his sister. Wolf gets to choose between the vindictive pursuit of vengeance and choosing to embrace the change that his pursuit has wrought in his enemies. (Side note: Wolf is one of the most terrifying villains, both in motive and character design that I’ve ever seen in a family film, and I think it’s brilliant.) Even Jack Horner has to choose to reject the opportunity for character growth at every turn. It’s a phenomenally rich story, full of interesting and memorable characters and character moments that stands out from the abundance of one-note animated films that big studios so often churn out. It’s a film that gives me hope for the continued improvement of family entertainment in the mainstream going forward.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish shows that children’s sequels don’t have to be simple cash grabs and that animation can offer mature themes, fun action, and interesting characters to audiences of all ages, making it a film worthy of recognition among the greats and one worth celebrating for years to come. Its simple plot might initially look like a bug left over from the films that preceded it, but it ultimately works perfectly as the trunk to which the many rich branches of character development cling, making the film an excellent entry in the film canon. You can currently stream this one on Netflix if you haven’t already seen it or want to give it another go.
