Puss in Boots, the famous swashbuckling cat from the Shrek series who debuted in a solo film way back in 2011 is back. Although it has been 11years since his last adventure, the character remained famous amongst young and old alike, thanks to Netflix. That helped the makers of Puss in Boots: The Last Wisha lot, otherwise it was not going to be easy to fulfil the needs of two generations.

The movie begins with a montage of Puss’ adventures which resulted in him losing his eight lives out of the famous nine lives that are associated with the cats. Living through the last one, Puss decides to hang up his boots and moves in with Mama Luna, an old woman who houses stray cats. However, his past doesn’t let him stay away from trouble and bounty hunters based on fairy tales are after Puss and miss him because of his changed, lazy look.

It is only when Puss decides to return to his old ways that things get interesting. With the help of a puppy named Perrito, who resides at Mama Luna’s by pretending to be a cat, and Puss’s former partner-in-crime Kitty Softpaws, he is able to embark on an adventure that might give him back his lost lives. However, with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the “Big” Jack Horner, and the deadly bounty hunter, The Big Bad Wolf, following him, Puss in Boots and the gang will have to hurry, otherwise, it will be too late.

The movie is directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who have been associated with movies like Kung Fu Panda, Lego Movies, Trolls, and Croods. Relatively new to direction, they were aided by the big names who did the main voices, led by Antonio Banderas as Puss, and Salma Hayek Pinault as Kitty Softpaws. The happy-go-lucky dog Perrito is voiced by Harvey Guillen, who steals the limelight with his lively performance. With the trio dominating, there is not a single boring moment in the 102-minute movie.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is surprisingly mature than expected and, unlike movies made nowadays, decides to dig deep into themes of mortality and death. On the other hand, it conveys the message of selflessness and teamwork. Live your life to the fullest, is the motto behind the swash-slashing feline’s The Last Wish.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 21st, 2023