Puss In Boots: The Last Wish – Film Review
by Fran Winston

Directed by: Joel Crawford
Starring the voices of: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anthony Mendez

In cinemas February 3rd

Almost twelve years after the hugely successful Shrek spin-off Puss In Boots forever cemented the adorable felines place in pop culture (after he first won hearts in Shrek 2 in 2004) comes a sequel. The good thing about animation is that, unlike their human counterparts, the characters are suspended in time, ageless icons that appear the same from generation to generation.

While Puss may not have aged, he has definitely been living life on the edge and we learn that he has used up all but one of his nine lives, meaning that his swashbuckling days are over. Resigned to his fate he flees to the house of a cat lady named Mama Luna, burying his iconic attire in the back garden to put that part of his life behind him. Obviously, he is not happy with this turn of events so when he overhears a mention of a magical wishing star that grants a single wish to the person who has the map to its location, he decides to take the map and use it to restore his lives.

Of course, that kind of treasure is coveted so he soon finds himself pursued by others who want to get their hands on the map including the crime family of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. What happens next is a game of cat and mouse (and bear) as the map falls in and out of various hands as everyone tries to make it to the final point to get the very last wish, but some are definitely more deserving than others.

When there is a long wait between sequels the results can often be disappointing, but Puss has lost none of his vim and vigour. The animation is stunning, and the story is surprisingly poignant.  Nothing here is dialled in and it’s as good as, if not better than its predecessor. As with all family-friendly animations, this has an underlying message – in this case selflessness and teamwork – but unlike most of those movies it doesn’t shove it down your throat and instead subtly weaves it throughout.

From the action-packed opening sequence to the heart-warming finale this is an absolute treat. The comic segments really land and will have both adults and kids in creases, while the emotional scenes will tug at your heartstrings. This is a beautiful film that is sure to become a much-loved classic.