The film’s title was trademarked in 2020, and the entire cast was revealed in March 2022, months before the film’s release. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’s design aesthetic and animation were said to be directly inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. That visual style pervades the film, with many scenes appearing to be straight out of a comic book or manga fight scene.
Throughout its runtime, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish goes through every emotion imaginable. Some gags are more heartfelJoel Crawford directs Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Antonio Banderas reprises his role as Puss in Boots, and Salma Hayek reprises her role as Kitty Softpaws. This film introduces a slew of new characters to the franchise, as well as new voice actors. Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney, Harvey Guillén, and Wagner Moura are just a few of the new characters introduced in the film, many of whom are inspired by fairytales. Compared to the previous film, which featured characters such as Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and Jack Beanstalk, this is very on-brand.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish begins with a spectacular display of Puss’ larger-than-life personality. He’s broken into the mayor’s mansion in some town and is throwing a party, clawing up portraits, singing and dancing with the locals. However, when the mayor catches Puss in Boots in the middle of a dance number, a giant monster appears, forcing Puss in Boots to use his abilities yet again to save the day. This has consequences: at the end of the fight, Puss in Boots is crushed by a falling bell, killing him and forcing him to use the last of his nine lives. If he dies again, the legendary feline is finished. This does not appear to bother him at first, and he heads to the bar upon waking. There, he meets a powerful wolf with red eyes, who appears to be a bounty hunter. This is not a fight Puss in Boots can win, so he gives up his life to protect his last life, holding his head low. With the wolf pursuing him, there is only one place Puss in Boots can be truly safe: Mama Luna’s residence. Mama Luna protects domesticated cats, and Puss in Boots resigns himself to a life of eating kitty kibble and sunbathing in the window after burying his cape in her front yard. He initially resists, but after being trapped inside the house for a while, he begins to accept his new fate and even abandons grooming himself, rendering the beloved character completely unrecognisable to even the most devoted fan in this universe.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a crime family consisting of a human girl and her three talking bears, arrive at the house looking for him. Puss in Boots avoids their attention, but learns about a mysterious Wishing Star in the process, prompting him to dig up his hat and cape from its shallow grave and embark on a new, potentially final journey. He is joined by Perrito, a dog who has been impersonating a cat in the house, and reunites with Kitty Softpaws as they attempt, with the cats giving their most adorable, awe-inspiring looks to charm their audience, while others are more adult-oriented. This story can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and while it incorporates well-known fairytale characters with a fresh perspective, the story itself unfolds like a fable. For a character like Puss in Boots, who is obsessed with the myths and legends he has lived through, this film does an excellent job of establishing it as the myth’s continuation while fleshing out his backstory. The animation is one of the most distinguishing and noticeable aspects of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The fight scenes and details are not only animated to look like they are straight out of a storybook, but the visuals are also extremely vibrant. This film feels like a cinematic experience, whether it’s the wolf’s red eyes shining in the dark, looking like rubies with how bright they are, or Puss in Boots’ fight scenes moving eloquently across the screen.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a treat to watch in 3D or 2D, with a balanced level of cuteness, humour, and fight scenes that may warrant a rewatch later on. It could even be one of the best-animated films ever made. It may even be one of the year’s best-animated films, pushing the boundaries of what animated films can be in the future. On a different note, the mortality prevalent in many Western films can be felt strongly in this film, particularly as Puss in Boots confronts the reality of his mortality. Even though he is aware of the risks he is taking by donning his boots and hat for the last time, he seeks the meaning of life while attempting to bargain with magic—the Wishing Star—for the chance to live again. Sometimes all it takes is a long, arduous journey for some people, or cats, to realise that what they have now is pretty good in the long run, causing some to potentially find this ending to fall flat. For a kid’s movie, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has a lot to think about and reflect on, especially since its core theme is based on the concept of memento mori.
