During my many years of watching and rating movies, I got used to being the outsider, not because I wanted to be different, but because my taste often didn’t align with the rest of the movie-going crowd. And then there are instances when you align identically with the rest, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is one of those because, like many, I wasn’t particularly excited for a sequel to a perfectly fine movie. But when I heard many positive reviews, I knew I had to give this one a try, and as many, I loved this sequel. I don’t think it’s controversial to write that this is the best movie in the Shrek universe since the Shrek 2 (2004).
What made this sequel so great? Well, it’s the themes DreamWorks hasn’t really explored as much in the past and delivered us almost this Pixar-level movie, themes-wise. Everything from Puss exploring the idea of mortality to anxiety and the sudden darkness in this universe gave it that unique “something” all the other Shrek sequels were missing. Luckily, DreamWorks paid attention and didn’t go overboard on it “going too dark”, so your kids will still enjoy themselves whilst having an actually terrifying villain, mixed with the idea of commitments and family that comes in all variations of that word.
I won’t lie; I loved this sequel even before the big reveal (I won’t spoil it, but looking back, it was so obvious). The Big Bad Wolf must be one of the most memorable animated villains of… Well, a good few years, if not longer. I loved every decision they made about him, from his musical theme to the whistling we can always hear just before seeing him… Everything about that character worked wonderfully. I felt that uneasiness our main character was going through every time he was on the screen; I felt there were stakes, even if I knew deep down I was watching a DreamWorks movie, so things would (probably) work out. That’s why I loved that reveal with this character, as great reveals should be like good riddles. It’s so obvious once you know the answer, yet I never guessed it because… Well, I was so much into the movie that I didn’t even think of thinking about anything else.
A big part of why I enjoyed myself was the addition of Perrito, voiced by Harvey Guillén. What would have easily become an annoying side character designated to charm little kids and sell more toys maybe even five years ago became almost a highlight of this film. And not because he was cute and goofy, which he undoubtedly was. It’s the thought about his character and how he talks and thinks about his life but chooses to find a silver lining in everything. It’d be so easy to make him dumb or obnoxious, but they gave him just enough scenes where the emotional ones landed well whilst still being the main comedic relief of this movie. If the Big Bad Wolf is the best player, Perrito is the MVP of this film.
The thing is, even if we omit these two and focus on the rest of the film, it’s still pretty awesome. From the blend of different animation styles and frame rates (the Spider-Verse franchise must be given credit for influencing the mainstream animated movies since 2018) to the main crux of this film, about family and commitment. Whether it’s a chosen family (Goldilocks voiced by Florence Pugh with her storyline) or committing to one person (or, in this case, a cat) for your entire life, the movie tries to give you something more substantial to chew on, and I appreciated it.
The thing about Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is I can’t think of any flaws. Nothing about this movie bothered me. Most jokes landed, and the emotional scene hit me too. Maybe the secondary villain, hunting everyone, wasn’t as memorable…? But that’s really all I could bring up, and even that feels like a weak critique, given how much this film did. It feels almost poetic, as I still remember many people not being excited about this sequel whatsoever. But then it comes, kicks ass and delivers the ultimate message – if you make a great movie, fans won’t care whether it’s a sequel or not. Just give us something new, don’t be afraid to experiment and no matter what you do, ground your film in some sense of reality. I might go even as far as to say this might be the most “mature” movie in the Shrek franchise, and I am writing this as someone who loves and views the first two Shrek films as classics of the animated genre.
Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was a pleasant surprise that proved again that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. In a weird way, this sequel had almost nothing going for it, except for (it seems like) people working on it who cared about every single detail, whether it was the story or the animation style(s). The result shows on screen, and it’s a vivid, funny, touching and charming film that managed to do the unthinkable – get me excited for Shrek 5. The movie that’s been stuck in production hell for a few years now, a movie I don’t even know whether it’s coming or not anymore, but if the same people would be behind it, I will be there, opening day. And I am willing to bet I wouldn’t be the only one.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke