“Puss in Boots” sequel surprises everyone
11 years after the release of the first “Puss in Boots,” we finally have a new entry in the “Shrek” franchise. I went in with tempered expectations and high hopes, and left the theater flabbergasted. This is, in my opinion, the best film in the franchise since the original “Shrek” from 2001.
The film, released on Dec. 21, continues Puss’ story as a rogue hero until he dies for the eighth time, putting him down to his last life. In an attempt to regain all nine lives, he goes on a quest to the mythical wishing star while being chased close behind by a wolf bounty hunter and other fairytale creatures.
I think this film is wonderful and one of the best animated movies we’ve seen in years. Each aspect of the film went above and beyond to tell a great story and reach a broad variety of audiences. All things considered, I have very little negative or even nit-picky comments to say about this film.
One of my favorite aspects of the film is the cast and their performances. Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek are back as Puss and Kitty Softpaws, respectively, and they are better than ever with passion and joy that is audible in their performances. The funniest characters were Perrito played by Harvey Guillen, who brings a type of humor to a kids movie that I haven’t seen executed well in a long time, and Jack Horner played by John Mulaney, one of my favorite comedians.
Without a doubt, the best part of the whole film is the villain, Wolf. Voiced by Wagner Moura from the Netflix crime show “Narcos,” he was a force to be reckoned with and genuinely terrifying when he wanted to be. Wolf’s signature whistle gave me chills every time, being used as a precursor to his entrance on scene. What is great about that is it never cheapened his appearance but rather built it up and made it more impactful.
The film takes what is a silly plot and pumps it up with a fun adventure, assisted by a lively ensemble of characters that result in an action packed movie. I haven’t experienced such a well put together film for both young and adult audiences in a long time.
This is one of the best movies of last year and it delivered one of the most fun theater experiences I’ve had with my friends. I’m going to give it at least a 4.5 / 5.
Puss in Boots 2” is great in how it focuses on adult themes while bringing strong comedy.” – Giovanni Albarez, senior
“Adventure so wild it felt magical.” – Zachary Holzhauser, senior
“It was action-packed, clever and it had a really nice message.” – Kristen Jue, senior
