Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

All of this just works. ― Todd Howard

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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a 2022 American computer-animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The sequel to the spin-off film Puss in Boots (2011) and the sixth installment in the Shrek franchise, was directed by Joel Crawford and co-directed by Januel Mercado. Based on the character from Shrek 2 (2004) and inspired by the eponymous fairy tale, the film's screenplay was written by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow, with a story by Swerdlow and Tom Wheeler (the latter of whom wrote the 2011 film). The voice cast of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish includes Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault reprising their respective roles as the titular character and Kitty Softpaws, and are joined by Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez, who voice new characters introduced in the film. Set after Shrek Forever After (2010), the film follows Puss in Boots as he journeys to find the mystical Last Wish for the Wishing Star by teaming up with Kitty and Perrito (Guillén) to restore the first eight of his nine lives, by wishing on the mystical Last Wishing Star. They must race against Goldilocks and her Three Bears Crime Family (Pugh, Winstone, Colman, and Kayo), and "Big" Jack Horner (Mulaney), who all desire the star; Puss must also avoid a mysterious hooded wolf (Moura), who plots to kill him.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
"I know I can never defeat you, Lobo, but I will never stop fighting for this life."
Genre: Family Adventure Animated Comedy-drama Directed by: Joel Crawford Written by: Paul Fisher Tommy Swerdlow Starring: Antonio Banderas Salma Hayek Harvey Guillén Florence Pugh Olivia Colman Ray Winstone Samson Kayo John Mulaney Wagner Moura Distributed by: Universal Studios Release date: December 21, 2022 Runtime: 102 minutes Country: United States Prequel: Puss in Boots Sequel: Shrek 5 (Shrek series, mainline movies, by release date) Untitled Donkey Spin off Movie (spin-off movies, by release dates) Puss in Boots 3 (possible)

Plans for a sequel to Puss in Boots began in November 2012, when executive producer Guillermo del Toro shared plans to take the titular character on an adventure to a "very exotic locale", he also stated a couple of drafts for the screenplay were completed. Work on a sequel began in April 2014, according to Banderas. The film's title was announced as Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves in June 2014. After being stuck in development hell, the project was revived in November 2018, with Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri confirmed to be an executive producer. It was announced that the film would be helmed by Bob Persichetti, the head of the story of the first film and one of the three directors of Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), in February 2019. Crawford and Mercado were later announced as the new directors in March 2021. The majority of the new cast members, along with Pinault's return, were announced in March 2022. The story drew inspiration from Spaghetti Western films, with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) being cited as a particular influence. As with DreamWorks' previous film The Bad Guys (2022), the film has a stylized animation style, inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. With new technology, the team was able to give the film a painterly style to resemble a fairy-tale story, rather than utilizing the realistic visual style of every previous installment of the Shrek franchise.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish premiered at Lincoln Center in New York City on December 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 21, 2022, after being delayed due to restructuring at DreamWorks. The film received positive reviews from critics, praising its animation, themes, voice acting, humor, and portrayal of Death. Many reviewers considered it superior to its predecessor, as well as one of the best films in the Shrek franchise. It was also a commercial success, grossing $462 million worldwide on a production budget of $90 million, becoming the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2022. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film (but lost to Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) and numerous accolades, including at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, and British Academy Film Awards.

Plot

While hosting a party in the town of Del Mar, legendary hero and outlaw Puss in Boots accidentally awakens a sleeping giant. He effortlessly subdues the creature but is fatally crushed by a bell. Waking up in a hospital, the town doctor informs him that he has lost eight of his nine lives and suggests Puss should retire. That night in a bar, Puss is attacked by a black-hooded wolf, who Puss assumes is a bounty hunter. The wolf easily disarms and wounds Puss, causing him to flee. Traumatized, Puss retreats to the house of cat lady Mama Luna, burying his clothes and boots in a grave in her garden. Puss meets an optimistic dog disguised as a cat whom he calls Perrito. Goldilocks, and her crime family of Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear soon arrive at Luna's home in search of Puss. They plan to hire him to steal a map bearing the Wishing Star's location from amoral pastry chef "Big” Jack Horner, but fail to recognize him and leave after finding his "grave".

Puss decides to use the Star to restore his lost lives. Accompanied by Perrito, he breaks into Horner's bakery to steal the map but is interrupted by his resentful ex-fiancée Kitty Softpaws, Horner, and the Bear family. Puss escapes with the map alongside Kitty and Perrito, though he briefly sees the hooded wolf as they flee.

The map leads the trio to the Dark Forest, a pocket dimension that changes its terrain depending on the map's holder. During another clash with Horner's henchmen as well as Goldi and the bears, Puss sees the wolf again and runs off, distracting Kitty and allowing Goldi to obtain the map. After Perrito calms Puss's panic attack, Puss confesses that he left Kitty at the altar on their wedding day. Kitty overhears them and reveals that she never attended the wedding either because she believed Puss could not love anyone more than himself.

Puss and Kitty steal back the map while Goldi and the bears are distracted by a manifestation of their woodland cottage. As the dimension shifts, Puss accidentally traps himself in a crystalline cave, where he is confronted and mocked by his previous lives. The wolf appears again, revealing himself as Death. Feeling disrespected by Puss not valuing any of his lives, Death intends to take Puss's last life prematurely. Puss runs out of the cave in a fit of panic, ignoring Kitty and Perrito and fleeing to the Star alone. Meanwhile, Goldi reveals to the bears that her wish is to be reunited with her biological family; although they are devastated, the bears agree to help her.

Puss arrives at the Star and begins to make his wish, but is confronted by Kitty, who berates him for his selfishness while admitting that her wish was to have someone she could trust. Goldi, the bears, and Horner arrive and a fight ensues for the map; Goldi briefly obtains the map, but abandons it to save Baby Bear, while Kitty traps Horner inside his magical bottomless bag.

Death mounts the Star and challenges Puss. Having learned the value of life from his time with his companions, Puss forgoes wishing for more lives and accepts Death's duel, managing to disarm and overpower him. Puss tells Death that, while he knows he can never defeat him, he will never stop fighting for his final life. Seeing that Puss has lost his arrogance, Death begrudgingly spares him. Before Death departs, he and Puss agree that they will meet again.

Horner eats a magic snack inside the bag, which turns him gigantic and allows him to escape. He then attempts to make his wish to take all of the world's magic for himself, but Perrito distracts him long enough for Puss, Kitty, and Goldi to rip the map to shreds, causing the Star to collapse and consume Horner.

In the aftermath, Goldi affirms to the bears that they are her true family, and they leave to take over Horner's pie factory. Puss rekindles his romance with Kitty; the two and Perrito later steal a ship and set sail to the Kingdom of Far Far Away.

Why It Also Doesn't Need To Pray for Mercy

1. The animation style is impressive, as it's stylized and is inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Bad Guys.
2. Amazing voice acting, from Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and the new cast members.
3. Puss is a better character than he's been before, as he's cautious about himself in his last life.
4. Perrito and Kitty are also characters with cute moments in the film.
5. Several funny moments.
6. Death, Goldilocks, and Jack Horner are said to be some of the best DreamWorks villains.
   • To get the elephant out of the room, Death is a very scary and intimidating villain who manages to induce fear in both Puss and the audience through his appearance, presence, voice, and whistle. Even despite his limited screen time his presence can be felt throughout the movie.
   • Goldilocks has an amazingly well-written backstory that manages to sympathize with the audience. Despite being a villain, she is not evil at all as all she wishes is having a real family since she did not feel satisfied with her own because they were bears and she wasn't. Her chemistry with the Three Bears is awesome and she has a satisfying redemption arc at the film's climax by helping Puss, Kitty, and Perrito defeat Jack Horner.
   • Jack Horner, despite not having so much depth in his character, is an incredibly entertaining and funny villain. His irredeemable and unsympathetic personality works as a perfect slap to Hollywood's lame trend of needing to make unnecessary sympathetic villains, as he doesn't have any excuse or justification for his actions. While not as scary as Death, he is still threatening and dangerous.
7. It managed to be deep and edgy while still being appropriate for kids. The film is surprisingly dark in tone as it touches very serious topics such as death and existential crisis in an amazing way, as well as it gives the message about appreciating your own life and living it well.
   • For example, the scene where Puss has a panic attack, and Perrito calms him down.
8. The final battle between Puss and Death near the end is incredible.
9. Along with The Bad Guys, it saved the reputation of DreamWorks, that is until DreamWorks went back to declining in quality with Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate.
10. "La Vida es Una" from Karol G is an incredible credits song that fits the theme of the film perfectly.
11. Gingy and Pinocchio made a cameo appearance.
12. Shrek and Donkey make a cameo for 5 seconds during Puss's flashback.
13. The ending scene confirms that we're getting Shrek 5.

Qualities That Have Zero Lives

1. There is a bit of toilet/gross-out humor, such as one scene where Puss is peeing, and we see the stream going into the toilet.
2. There's a scene where Perrito says some bleeped-out cuss words, which could be somewhat inappropriate for a PG film.
3. Potential false advertising: The trailers seemed like Death would be the main villain when the film doesn't give Death that much screen time despite being an interesting and intimidating character as the hilarious Big Jack Horner is the main villain after all.

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