This was a different sort of Saturday night pizza and bad movie fare for us. The dearly beloved took a recommendation from The Critical Drinker (more on him at a later date), who spoke highly of the flick.
Plot:
The opening scenes tell a fairy tale about a star that fell to earth, scorching a forest and creating a Dark Forest. At the center of the Dark Forest is a Wishing Star, waiting to grant single wish to the first person who finds it.
Puss in Boots is busy doing is usual swashbuckling and performing for the local people, a modest little number with lyrics asking, “Who is your favorite fearless hero?”
The return of the governor (Bernardo De Paula) puts an end to la fiesta. Puss in Boots is an outlaw. The viewer is shown the poster in case there’s any doubt. In the process of escaping from the governor’s forces, Puss in Boots sets off fireworks, waking the sleeping giant of Del Mar.
Not to worry—much. Puss dispatches the giant. While he’s taking his bows, a great bell crushes him.
He receives the bad news from the village doctor/barber (Anthony Mendez) that he died. But he has nine lives, right? He’s down to his last one. The doctor gives him the address of cat fancier Mama Luna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) where he can retire.
While he sits in a tavern, downing some leche and telling himself he’s not ready to be anyone’s lap cat, a bounty hunter/wolf (Wagner Moura) approaches him with a wanted poster.
The ensuing fight is different from anything Puss has known before. A blade touches him and draws blood for the first time. He loses his sword and becomes afraid. He runs away by quite undignified means. After deciding he’s no longer worthy of being Puss in Boots, he buries his clothes and seeks sanctuary at Mama Luna’s.
Not all is peace and tranquility, of course, but what little there is shatters when the crime family of Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo) attack the house, looking for Puss in Boots. They want to hire him to steal the Map to the Wishing Star from Jack Horner (John Mulaney), a wealthy man who runs a going pie concern.
It occurs to Puss that he could steal the map and wish for his nine lives back. He could be Puss in Boots once again.
However, an old flame of his, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), also wants the map.
And the chase is on.
Thoughts:
I have good things to say about this flick. It’s fun. It tells a story. Puss in Boots grows and changes. He figures out that the bounty hunter is Death. He will lose to him one day. In the meantime, he evaluates his life.
The animation is solid. The viewer knows it’s animation. It does not try to imitate real life. When Puss feels fear, the fur on his legs (arms?) rises. His heartbeat quickens, and his eyes widen.
Later in the Dark Forest, when it’s not dark but magical, the animation is wonderful and the colors rich without being overpowering.
Some of the characters speak a few Spanish phrases. Spanish lyrics are worked in The Doors’ song “This is the End.” My Spanish, to be charitable, is limited, and I didn’t catch everything, but I didn’t see the use of Spanish as a barrier to the English-speaking viewer.
Cliches appear in the film. I’d be surprised if none did. The overly cheerful sidekick Puss didn’t ask for and at first treats miserably ends up being something of a savior. Other relationships are more nuanced, however, something unexpected in a children’s movie. Mama Luna and the cats in her home get short shrift, however.
Because it’s a kiddie flick, the bathroom humor abounds.
The character of the wolf/Death may be a little heavy for smaller children. He is terrifying. It’s the first (maybe second) thing to frighten Puss in Boots.
The Last Wish received nominations for best animated film from Academy Awards and BAFTA. It also got nominations from many city and regional critics groups, as well as nods from groups like the NAACP and GALECA, the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.
I enjoyed this.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is too recent to be available for free download.
Title: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Directed by
Joel Crawford…(directed by)
Januel Mercado…(co-director) (as Januel P. Mercado)
Writing Credits
Paul Fisher…(screenplay by) and
Tommy Swerdlow…(screenplay by)
Tommy Swerdlow…(story by) and
Tom Wheeler…(story by)
Etan Cohen…(additional screenplay material by)
Cast (in credits order)
Antonio Banderas…Puss in Boots (voice)
Salma Hayek…Kitty Softpaws (voice) (as Salma Hayek Pinault)
Harvey Guillén…Perrito (voice)
Florence Pugh…Goldilocks (voice)
Olivia Colman…Mama Bear (voice)
Released: 2022
Length: 1 hour 42 minutes
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 
I saw the first one. Great animations and story too. I saw it with my kids. My kids are adults now so I may not see this one but it sounds really good. Thank you for a great review.
Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, the kids are probably too cool to see such a movie now. I enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy it if you watch it, too. So many movies recently forget to tell a story.
I saw the first Puss and Boots as an adult with a friend of mine and loved it. My friend loved Antonio Banderas so much and would see anything with him in it, including animation films.
I haven’t seen any of the others. No kids or grandkid to drag me to these. But I liked this one.
I saw that twice, first in the theater and yeah the wolf scared the shit of kid sitting near me
😦 I thought it might. Bummer.
I’m still bummed about the time my folks took my brother and me to a drive-in and we watched while Old Yeller got shot. That sucked.
And let’s not ever talk about Bambi.
Dude, my parents traumatized me as kid seeing any of the following in the theater: Jaws, Halloween, One Dark Night, Damien Omen 2, Humongous, The Shining
! Your folks were brutal.
Well my Mom, my dad HATED horror films lol
Still brutal.
I love whatever Antonio and Salma do togeteher, where as acting or voices! Both I and my gf loved it! Brava on the review, too! 🙂 (you know me, as Toby)
Of course, I do. Thanks for the comment! Hope you and T. (not so little anymore) are well and happy. It was fun movie.