It’s been ten years, but ‘Shrek’ has lived on longer than alive thanks to the internet and the meme factory, first ironic, then post-ironic and then dadás of the different generations. The truth is that, when ‘Puss in Boots’ premiered, back in 2011, the saga was already showing clear signs of decay, but after being adored by social networks, they have decided to return… through the back door. And that’s not necessarily bad.
crawling in
I admit that I did not give a penny for a new ‘Puss in Boots’ movie. I thought that, if they came back, they could do it directly with ‘Shrek 5’ or with a new character: nothing could go right in the late sequel to a spin-off that, on top of that, was the lowest-grossing film in the franchise. And yet, in ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’, not having the responsibility of having to return to the main saga, they have let their hair down with a hilarious animation, a lot of interesting and hilarious secondary and an emotional resolution to match.
‘Spider-man: a new universe’ changed the 3D animated cinema as we know it, and we are beginning to see the results now. Suddenly, every studio wanted their own movie with crazy shots, different animation styles, and to look different from the rest.. In this new movie about the cat hero, the impossible camera turns, the two-second gags and even the action scenes where the character moves at less frames per second still amazingbut it will not be long until they are simple routine.
But the best thing about ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ is that It is not just a succession of gags, but also shows a complexity in the character that has never been seen before., both in relation to himself and his relationship with those around him. Everyone’s favorite hero is living the last life of him, and the emotional range that lives is much deeper and more interesting than we could imagine: go from fear to depression, from indecision to selfishness, from denial to anger. In this film, Puss in Boots has finally become a three-dimensional character.
purrrfect secondaries
The world of ‘Shrek’ fairy tales seems like it can’t give more of itself, but they have managed to renew it thanks to eight new characters. The surprising thing is that they all have interest, plot and seem like an organic part of this universe. Death stands out with its own light, a wonderful design of a relentless wolf that wants to put an end to our hero once and for all, and that manages to be continuously threatening: the movie is smart enough not to put any jokes in their scenes and exacerbate their importance.
I am frankly surprised by the emotional journey that the film achieves for characters that could be just walking jokes like Goldilocks and the three bears of crime or Kitty and Puppy, the two new companions of Puss in Boots. They all have their own identity and are not just extras in the protagonist’s adventures.which makes the plots and their journey richer by showing their frustrations, longings and hidden sadness.
All this, of course, well surrounded by gags for all tastes. Particularly noteworthy is the hilarious montage with the eight previous deaths of Puss in Boots and that house full of kittens to which the protagonist is forced, but the truth is that, more than a comedy, it is an adventure film in the old fashioned waywith three teams running for the same goal, in the style of ‘Rats on the run’ but with magic, stories and two cats with swords that won’t stop talking.
My cat goes oops oops oops
Sadly, I’ve had to watch the movie dubbed into Spanish (missing the voices of Salma Hayek, John Mulaney, and Florence Pugh), and that includes the inevitable cameo of the celebrity on duty to have an excuse and take Antonio Banderas accompanied to ‘El Hormiguero’. In this case Rosario Flores is the one who plays Mama Lunain a short role but one that becomes a ball and in which, of course, she sings “Ay ay ay ay, my cat goes oops oops oops”, because you’ve hired her for something.
We fans of animated films don’t deserve Melendi in ‘How to Train Your Dragon 3’, Lola Indigo in ‘Space Jam: Nuevas Leyendas’ or Rosario Flores here. Please stop, distributors. ‘The anthill’ is not that important. In return we have an Antonio Banderas perfectly tucked into a custom-made role and in which you can see that he is having a great time. He manages to make the part his own, even after all these years. Enormous.
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ exceeds the expectations that can be placed on it. It’s not a great movie, but the continuous chase works, the supporting roles are both hilarious and sensitive, all the characters have different dimensions and he manages to have his own charisma that seemed almost impossible to achieve a decade later. And once the trial balloon is launched, we’ll see if this means the long-awaited return of the green ogre or it will remain in the ether for a few more years.