Shrek has been absent from cinemas for more than a decade now, however, the heroic efforts ofPuss in Boots: The Last Wishto bring back Dreamworks’ Shrekverse should not be understated as this unfancied sequel may just be one of the best animated films released in 2022.
Granted, it’s not justShrek, like Goldilocks’s three bears, many ofDreamworks’most successful franchises have been hibernating for a while, and yet in a relatively quiet year for animation it’sPuss in Bootsthat should return the studio to its glory days. WithKung Fu Panda 4looming on the horizon, what does thePuss in Bootssequel do so well to greatly exceed its run-of-the-mill predecessor? And why is it so important that cinephiles supportPuss in Boots: The Last Wishas a signal this is where the industry should move towards to?
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Puss In Boots’Main Theme Is Now Death
While the firstPuss in Bootscould bank on the popularity ofShrekto secure a profitable box office, bringing back Antonio Banderas’ anthropomorphic fairy tale cat was a bit of an odd move. Regardless, the actor’s own near-death experience after suffering a heart attack in 2017 was part of what drove him to reprise his beloved role, calling it “one of the best things that ever happened in my life,” as it gave him a new outlook to judge “things that I thought were important before but weren’t really.”
It’s this very idea, that a person’s perspective, values and what they cherish the most that underline Puss in Boots’ journey throughout the movie, the kind of universal topic that was absent from the light-hearted spirit of the first film. In real life, death is all around us, and communicating that concept to children can often be a challenging task since it’s something little ones are unlikely to ever forget.
In that sense, Puss in Boots coming to terms with the idea that even he, a legend, is now facing the possibility of death, perfectly framesThe Last Wishin the same narrative as some of the greatest animated films ever. It’s that anxiety that madeToy Story 3so spectacular and relatable to adults, as well as kids, but it’s also present in the likes ofBambi,The Iron Giant,Inside Out,CocoandSoul,or even anime greats likeSpirited AwayandGrave of the Fireflies.
InPuss in Boots: The Last Wish, death is personified by a towering Wolf armed with a pair of sickles, who at times is outright terrifying in his pursuit of the aging feline because this just isn’t a caricature, death is a common enemy for absolutely every moviegoer from the moment they became familiar with it. Of course, barring all existentialist themes,The Last Wish’spresentation is also fantastic as it adopts a verySpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseanimation stylethat makes its action scenes more impactful, a trick also employed byAvatar: The Way of Water’shigh frame rate.
Overall, writing duo Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow get a ton oflaughs from the expected movie cat humor, and director Joel Crawford proves his worth by improving another sequel afterThe Croods: New Agealso went a bit unnoticed; whereas Banderas' love for the character can’t be denied given his willingness to voice the cat in several languages. Simply putPuss in Boots: The Last Wishoffers some of the best animated entertainment out there, especially if limited to the big screen.
The Shift In Animated Films
Over the past couple of yearssince Bob Chapek took over as Disney CEO, the company started limiting releases of Pixar movies to Disney Plus streaming, a decision that has kept well-liked films from the world’s most prestigious animation studio away from movie theaters. That trend, combined with a few misfires from Disney’s ownLightyearorStrange Worldhas meant that many ofthe best animated movies in recent memorybarely get a chance to be enjoyed at a movie theater.
Surely, thesuccess ofMinions: The Rise of Grustill reminds studios how massive animated films can be, nevertheless, with genuine gems likeGuillermo del Toro’s PinocchioorTurning Redbeing limited to streaming, and endearing movies likeMarcel the Shell with Shoes Onbarely getting any exposition, supporting great animation has never been more important. No matter that anime features likeOne Piece Film: RedorDemon Slayerare getting bigger, animated blockbusters cannot be allowed to become direct-to-streaming movies.
At the time of writing,Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’sworldwide box office is $140.8m on a $90m budget after two weeks, and despite it maybe being close to turning a profit, Dreamworks’ marketing and timing to make it coincide with the juggernaut that is anAvatarsequel leaves a lot to be desired.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishis a fun and emotional rollercoaster that’s inventive and uses animation techniques to boost its artistic value, it’s practically everything that an animated movie should be. The critical acclaim it has received so far is not enough, the film deserves attention so that studios get the validation they need to go back to these roots and guarantee proper theatrical releases, even more so in a year when the animated movie experience has left so much to be desired.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishis currently available in theaters.
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