Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

What a delight. I’ve just come back from my long-awaited trip to the cinema to see this film, and I can honestly say that a decade late sequel to a spinoff from a separate animated franchise has absolutely no business being this good. After one too many brushes with death, our charismatic feline hero finds himself downtrodden and deflated after finding out he only has one of his nine lives remaining. In an attempt to get his nine lives back, Puss and his friends embark on an epic journey to find the ‘last wish’, and with it, both Puss’ skills and personal values are tested. Is one life going to be enough for Puss? Is it ever enough? For anyone? It's heavy question. And in trying to answer it, you could argue the film, on paper, attempts far too much. But by the time it comes together, everything seems to work seamlessly. The themes are surprisingly mature, weaving in fantastically well developed and complete takes on the finality of death, commitment, ego, self-worth, and family that are, in my opinion, applicable to any audience. The animation style is refreshing, the set pieces are gorgeous, and Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek have voices like honey – if I could, I’d have them read me a bedtime story. It’s honest, thoughtful, and carefully crafted to be deliberately meaningful, and it succeeds in every regard. You have to add this to your animated collection.