Puss-in-Boots: The Last Wish review

Photo+courtesy+of+DreamWorks

Photo courtesy of DreamWorks

Cora Coleman, Writer

I think I speak for the majority when I say that Puss-in-Boots: The Last Wish is a fun movie and one of the better films to come out this past year. Everyone was simply blown away by how good it was, and some went as far as, “Best Movie of the Year”. The world has turned upside down because of the Shrek spin-off movie sequel that has outperformed an Avatar movie. But I guess that happens when someone spends over a decade crafting a movie. 

The biggest reason this movie performed so well was the stunning animation and visuals. Following in the footsteps of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, it has a comic-book aesthetic. The characters have very fluent movements that result in sequences that are appealing to look at, such as the opening scene with that giant Groot-looking monster. The colors are vibrant and pop in a way that hasn’t been seen in a Shrek movie, as the colors in those movies are dull and matted. The characters have more exaggerated facial expressions which give them more life and contribute to that “cartoony” look.

The story is very basic, but it’s a movie directed at kids. Of course, it’s going to be a simple and fast-paced plot, as kids have the attention span of goldfish. However, it’s nice the movie didn’t bore viewers with unnecessary scenes like most movies these days. While the story is very routine, I didn’t mind it because it was entertaining to watch the characters play out the quest with their own traits and humor. The movie doesn’t rely on the popularity of Shrek to carry it. Sure there are references sprinkled throughout, but it certainly wasn’t front and center. This is refreshing because it allows the movie to speak for itself and not be a Shrek Five. It instead focuses on the cool and complex character of Puss-in-Boots himself. 

Another hot topic is the movie’s portrayal of anxiety and fear. Since anxiety is very common in all of us, it’s something we can all relate to and sympathize with. The anxiety attack that happens in the movie feels very real and genuine, like some of the people working on this movie have experienced or witnessed panic attacks themselves. 

I know a lot of kids our age see the words “Puss-in-Boots” and are instantly disinterested as it relates to baby shows and kids’ movies. I was in that mindset too, and the only reason I saw this was that my little cousin wanted to see it, and I had nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon. It was surprising the amount of adult humor and heavy tones this film takes. So, don’t let that PG rating scare you away.