The Story of an Ogre Killer (Puss in Boots Review)

Puss in Boots, a spin off movie based off DreamWorks successful Shrek franchise, is the latest animated film to come out in theaters. Puss in Boots first appeared in Shrek 2, and immediately became a fan favorite because of his great charisma and swashbuckling skills. However, the Shrek films kept getting worse and my interest waned. So I wasn’t too thrilled to see anything involving Shrek. However, this film pleasantly surprised me.

The film is set before the events of Shrek and stars Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots. Puss is an outlaw who has a mission to find magical beans. Immediately, he has a rival named Kitty Softpaws, who is voiced by Salma Hayek, who is also trying to find the beans. Along with Puss’ estranged childhood friend Humpty Dumpty, voiced by Zach Galifianakis, the three set out on an adventure to find the three magic beans that will lead them to treasures beyond their wildest dreams.

Antonio Banderas proves that there is no other actor who can voice Puss. Banderas makes him such a lovable and suave character. He and Salma Hayek have great chemistry that does not feel forced at all. The film is funny and I’m glad it doesn’t totally rely on pop culture jokes the whole time just like the Shrek films and 2009’s Megamind.

DreamWorks, which is the main rival to Pixar Studios, are getting much better with their films. Puss in Boots has a bold visual style and the CGI is very impressive. The film is thrilling and had some great action scenes. The story is not as deep as other DreamWorks’ movies like the first Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, but the characters and humor prevent the film from being average.

Nevertheless, it was a good animated film and certainly better than the last two Shrek films. However, it wasn’t my favorite animated movie of the year. That honor belongs to The Adventures of Tintin. Still it is at least worth a rental.