Returning to screens after an eleven-year gap – but it’s almost as if our furry friend – once again voiced by Antonio Banderas – had never left. Very much a darker affair, the new animated adventure sees Puss still very much the talk of the town, a hero in every way but, when he loses another of his lives -reduced to just one, that mojo starts to disappear.
I loved every bit of this movie, which my theatrical review will attest to, as did the young audience I saw the film with – even if they were a little scared by the film’s darker tone reflected in the PG rating the movie was slapped with in the UK. After a dangerous meeting with the sinister big bad ‘Wolf’ (Wagner Moura), our hero runs for cover, but soon realises that he might have a way of regaining his eight other lives by seeking out a mysterious giant star which wil grant him a wish. However, he knows not of the location of the star. What he does find out is that a map exists which could take him there, so, with the help of a lovable therapy dog named Perrito (voiced by Harvey Guillén), as well as Salma Hayek Pinnault’s Kitty Softpaws, they must head to the scary ‘Dark Forest’ and to the big bright wish-giving magical star.
The film retained all of the magic on a second viewing – in fact, I probably enjoyed it more. There are lots of nuggets to take away from the film and seeing the mind-blowing animation in HD is something to behold. The story is superb, the adventure thrilling and the kids have the option of ducking behind the sofa if it all gets too much.
The film got a stonking US release packed with bonus features and they’ve all turned up on this review copy (finished Blu-ray) in the UK, too. ‘The Trident’ is a four-minute look at Puss’s eight deaths in montage style There are deleted scenes (3 in total), introduced by two directors who say why they were taken out), a ‘Cast of Characters’ featurette, running at 13 minutes approximately focussing on the characters in the film and the voices behind them, and an ‘In The Beginning’ ten-minute featurette about the origins of the characters and a throwback to the Shrek films and the first Puss In Boots. There’s ‘Jack Horner’s Line-O-Rama’ showing off John Mulaney’s voice performance with shots from the film, and also a lyric video for a song (Fearless Hero) from the movie. We have ‘How To Draw The Purrfect Pawtrait’ where directors Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado show us how to draw Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws, and Perrito. ‘How to Make a Paper Perrito’ is exactly that, running at around seven minutes. ‘Kitty Cam’ shows us some cast playing (yep – for about 15 minutes with clips slotted in from the film and the crowning glory is a feature documentary with the filmmakers: Director Joel Crawford, Co-Director Januel P. Mercado, Producer Mark Swift, Editor James Ryan, and Head of Story John Gilbert. In all, a remarkable package for an excellent feature – probably the best-animated film of the year so far. Excellent work, Universal.
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is available to download and keep from April 24th and on DVD and Blu-ray from 8th May.
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Summary
A remarkable animated film, if a little dark, suitably matched with a brilliant bonus package that’ll satisfy the most hardened physical release collector.
