Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the long-awaited sequel to the 2011 spinoff of Shrek, Puss in Boots. After dying from a fight with a giant Puss finds out that he is down to only one more life and is forced to retire. After an encounter with Goldilocks, he learns about a wishing star that he could use to get his lives back. This film is surprisingly dark in both the comedy and themes of the movie. This along with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio deal with the themes of death wonderfully. There’s literally a scene where a baker gets eaten by a giant flower and spits out his skeleton.
The animation in the first one was fine but nothing spectacular just your typical DreamWorks animation. The animation in the sequel however is incredibly different and a huge improvement. The cell shaded animation gives this film a much more unique look and you can tell the studio took inspiration from Spider Man into the Spider Verse especially the action scenes. It’s brighter and more colorful. I’m really glad DreamWorks did something new with their animation this year, along with the Bad Guys. I really hope DreamWorks uses this Spider Verse tactic for future films or even try new experimental animation styles.
I love all the new characters this film introduced. They all have great designs and great performances that fit their personalities perfectly. Perrito is very likable and a great foil for Puss. I love the dynamic between Goldilocks played by Florence Pugh and the Three Bears. I also like that they gave Goldi an understandable and sympathetic motive and story arc. I would honestly love a spinoff with this group. Wagner Moura is really cool and legit intimidating as the Wolf/Death and John Mulaney is enjoyably despicable as Big Jack Horner. This film honestly handles the multiple villains very well.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is one of if not the the best animated movies of 2022. Not only is it also the best Shrek movie since Shrek 2, it’s also the best film DreamWorks has done since Kung fu Panda 2. Anyone who has wished upon a wishing star for a sequel to Puss in Boots has had their wishes come true.
Verdict:
+Darker tone
+The animation
+The new characters
Score: A
JacobsonCinema 