The Magic of Puss in Boots…2

Relatively early in the year, we have a frontrunner for the biggest surprise hit of 2023. 11 years after we last saw him on the big screen, Puss in Boots is on his ninth and final life. His adventurous spirit has caught up with him. Abruptly faced with his own mortality, the ‘fearless hero’ feels like he’s lost control, and can no longer live up to his legendary reputation. 

You’d be forgiven for overlooking Puss in Boots: The Last Wish at face value. A sequel to a spinoff, the film continues on from the rather generic 2011 film named after our furry friend. Instead, The Last Wish changes things and embraces the strengths of animation. Taking conspicuous stylistic cues from Into The Spiderverse, the visual language is full of life, like stepping into a children’s book. Different art styles are intricately laced together to make a work of art in every frame. Names that the world has known for centuries through storybooks are reintroduced, richly expressive, and bursting at the seams with character. 

Scores of fairytale characters inhabit the world of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. There are three separate camps of antagonists and the setting of the majority of the film is subject to change based on who is holding the map to the titular Last Wish. Yet, you don’t lose track of the plot. The visual style of The Last Wish leans into the chaotic sprawl of characters and storylines, allowing all aspects of the film to flow together into a fresh tale entirely.

The Last Wish initially flew under the radar, presumed to be just another notch in the belt of a worn-out franchise. Growing acclaim from critics brought attention to the far-reaching appeal of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The fresh take of the film, both visually and thematically, won over the hearts of the masses. Now nominated for an Academy Award, and dethroning James Cameron’s hotly anticipated Avatar: The Way of the Water at the box office on opening weekend, The Last Wish has proved itself in numbers. Juxtaposing the thigh-high-clad protagonist, this film came up as an underdog. For all the general Oscars buzz that annually swells like clockwork, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has outshone so many of the tipped hitmakers and game-changers. 

Having burned through eight of his nine lives, Puss in Boots' adventurous spirit has taken a toll. Death takes a physical form and follows him around. Puss’ anxiety is pervasive and affects his self-image, as well as his willingness to enjoy life. The last place I would have to look for a sincere and realistic portrayal of anxiety is in the form of a wisecracking feline voiced to perfection by Antonio Banderas, yet here it is.

Somehow, the gazpacho-loving cat and his friends seamlessly convey to audiences a litany of life’s challenges and ways to overcome them. Through the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, the importance of found family is explored. Kitty Softpaws and her rocky past with Puss in Boots tells the story of relearning to trust. Lovable sidekick Perrito undermines the idea of the one-dimensional comic relief and proves the power of a good attitude in the face of adversity. And let’s not forget Jimmy Stewart sound-alike Jiminy Cricket, whose established habit of waxing lyrical about ethics exists as the most consistent source of chuckles. Puss learns from the people around him over the course of The Last Wish, discovering that he does not need to work alone, that his roguish reputation has held him back from developing meaningful relationships in his life. The themes present in the tale of this ginger outlaw and friends are heavy and complex, especially for a children's film. The danger of coming off patronizing and preachy is undeniable, but Dreamworks steers clear of the pitfalls that often befall *ahem* other studios. The Last Wish is a welcome shake-up of the family genre because it doesn’t hold your hand through explanations of morality. It gives you the space to figure it out. It doesn’t tell you everything’s going to be okay. Power still corrupts and death is still inevitable. But we can afford to make some friends along the way. Ultimately, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a vibrant celebration of living and loving, even in the face of fear.