‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ Bettered My Life

I walked into a near-empty Waterford Regal Cinema theater and left forever changed. In no way could I have prepared for the wild ride of mortality, friendship, and love that was about to grace my life through this Shrek spin off.

After many years of living dangerously, Puss, voiced by Antonio Benderas, has come down to the last of his nine lives. The only thing capable of restoring the other eight is a magical wishing star he sets out to find on a wild adventure alongside an optimistic canine, Perrito, voiced by Harvey Gullien and a fated love, Kitty Softpaws voiced by Salma Hayek.

If dancing, singing, action-hero cats aren’t to your taste, the top tier cast will compensate. Alongside Benderas, Hayek, and Gullien, Florence Pugh joins them as Goldilocks, and John Mulaney as villian Jack Horner.

Not only does the film offer a gripping plot, but it also provides a unique visual experience. The animation’s graphics are a rare mix of painterly-style and hand drawn motion. The uniform approach of extra detailed graphics would have made Puss look eerily unrealistic, as seen in the less fortunate original 2011 Puss in Boots movie.

If you’re still not invested, the villain of this PG-13 instant cult classic is mortality itself. A real stroke of genius hit whoever designed the villain, the sickle wielding Wolf. I got chills in the theater whenever the character was introduced and he is arguably one of the best movie villains of 21st century cinema.

The piece de resistance of the movie is the cohesive overarching storylines. From Goldilocks and the three bears to Jiminy Cricket, a menagerie of classic tales work in unison to deliver one of the most entertaining works I have ever seen. To discover the implications of vulnerability and mortality through friendship and stunning animation, spend an hour and 40 minutes on the adventure that is Puss in Boots: the Last Wish.