Puss in Boots
As spinoff prequels go, Puss in Boots isn’t too bad. The 2011 film is one of the nominees for Best Animated Feature at the 84th Academy Awards. Directed by Chris Miller, the director of Shrek the Third, the film is quick-witted but suffers from a somewhat convoluted plot and some wonky dance and fight choreography.
Apparently a film for the character voiced by Antonio Banderas was considered as early as 2004, around the time of Shrek 2. The plan was to release it straight-to-video, but the story evolved and a theatrical release was planned. The picture doesn’t overlap with the Shrek films, though, and there’s no mention of the big green ogre. There are some riffs on classic fairy tales to ground it in the same universe, however.
The film tells us the tale of Puss in Boots (Banderas) as he teams up with Humpty A. Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek, who else?) to find the magic beans. Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) have the beans and Puss and Co. try to snag them after learning that the objects will lead to a giant’s castle and some golden eggs.
Puss has trouble trusting Humpty, however, because of a betrayal that occurred earlier in his life. Regardless of the fantastical events, like the quest to find the castle in the sky, the relationship between Puss and Humpty is strained. And when Kitty, Puss and Humpty steal the gosling and release the ire of Mother Goose, some tough choices lie ahead.
The plot of Puss in Boots is a little convoluted and there are a few false finishes. Mixing in some aspects of different fairy tales is a nice touch, but a simpler approach would’ve made the film a more succinct, crisp tale. Perhaps a take on the original Charles Perrault fairy tale would have given the film some sparkle and providing some insight into the character’s origin.
In any event, the voice actors are up to the task and the characters are amusing enough. Banderas and Hayek have perfect chemistry, even as CGI cats, and their dialogue has a velocity that is all-too-rare in these sorts of films. Galifianakis isn’t overly compelling as Humpty, although I did appreciate the character’s emotional arc.
The animation is good but there are no set pieces that are particularly stunning. A trip up the beanstalk seems strangely disarrayed and an oblique jaunt into some cottony clouds (complete with trying “high voice due to thin air” gag) didn’t seem to be all it could be. As mentioned, the fights seem somewhat cluttered and even the theoretically fun dance fight is underwhelming.
Given the winding, vacillating plot, Puss in Boots doesn’t feel like it should be a feature. The first 15 or so minutes amount to good, smooth stuff, but this little kitty wears out his welcome too quickly. The film is okay and worth a look, but it’s surely not up to the level of Kung Fu Panda 2 or even Cars 2 with respect to being a complete animated feature worth seeing over and over again.
Trailer:
