In Review: Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots, Chris Miller, Dreamworks (2011)

The Gist

Nothing as charming, inventive, or groundbreaking as the original Shrek or Shrek 2, but Puss in Boots has its own brand of charm that will make you sit through an hour and a half, laughing silly over screwed up fairy tales and Spanish-accented cats who can put up a good swordfight.

The Good

• charming storyline
• great 3D animation
• witty lines and comedy without overusing slapstick

The Bad

• it's your typical Dreamworks animated film: funny, a bit charming, but not completely "there"

Synopsis

Prior to the events of Shrek 2, we meet Puss in Boots, a suave and charming outlaw slash "swordscat," out swashbuckling and running from the law. On one of his sojourns, he heard that the murderous lovers "Jack and Jill" have the mythical magic beans that he has been looking all his life. In an attempt to steal, Puss meets Kitty Softpaws and an old friend Humpty Dumpty who connive with him to perform the greatest heist in the times of yore. Unknown to Puss, old wounds run deep, and what seems like the heist of the century is about to turn into something unexpected.

Catfights and Spotlights

Latino / Latina cats in the land of screwed up English fairy tales are not far from happening, and when you have those, you expect showmanship no less, and well, gladly, Banderas and Hayek deliver (or rather the animation department does). What made me think, really, is why Dreamworks chose to make a movie about Puss. Surely, Puss is adorable and was a scene-stealer in Shrek 2--what with his cute kitty eyes trick that has managed to recur in this film still to a great comic effect--but the Shrek franchise has gone so passe that one can help but wonder, "is this just another effort to milk the green cow?" Luckily for Puss in Boots, that is not the case, though I now fear an inferior sequel to ruin everything that the first movie was.

A Cat's Tale

Maybe I am growing too old to be as fascinated as the 15 year old me who saw the first Shrek movie and had fun with how they reworked the fairy tale characters. Puss in Boots is enjoyable, for sure. But it's nothing groundbreaking as the first two Shrek movies.

On the plus side, great voice acting as usual from Dreamworks. There are some winning moments and witty ones that deserve praise, and some that don't really feel all too well, but there's more of the former than the latter. The animation is also solid and polished and the 3D made it shine. The script is also good, though a tad bit predictable as the story progresses, which, as you seat through the movie, will make you think that you really are an adult to be watching this.

And I think that's the problem with Puss in Boots. It does not have the charm of say, "Toy Story 3," or the affection of "How to Train Your Dragon" to warrant you not feeling too old for a movie like this. Sure it is rife with comedy, sure it is delightful, sure you'd wanna finish it and not feel ripped off after, but it does not have the oomph you wish it had. Then again, you probably knew that from the beginning and you're not too expectant by the time you're in the movie house, anyways. So what gives, just sit and enjoy.

My verdict:

A passing mark of 3.25/5.