Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Grade: A- 

reviewed by Nick Spake

DreamWorks’ recent offerings have been hit and miss, but 2022 may be the beginning of a shimmering new era. The Bad Guys found a stylish balance between Zootopia and Ocean’s Eleven. With Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, DreamWorks revives a beloved franchise that’s been latent for over a decade. This sequel is not only better than the original Puss in Boots movie, but it’s in the same league as the first two Shrek films. In addition to capturing the satirical spark of the franchise’s roots, The Last Wish offers something new. It’s a surprisingly mature story about mortality with inspired visuals reminiscent of Into the Spider-Verse.  

Antonio Banderas is as dashing as ever as the daring cat with the devil-may-care attitude of Zorro. Puss is advised to slow down after realizing that he’s used up eight of his nine lives. His ninth might be his shortest, as a menacing, red-eyed wolf seeks to collect the bounty on his head. Wagner Moura voices the Big Bad Wolf with the same intensity he brought to his portrayal of Pablo Escobar on Narcos. Puss sees an opportunity to get his lives back upon learning of a map to a Wishing Star. He’s accompanied by a naively optimistic dog named Perrito (Harvey Guillén) and Puss’ old flame Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). They aren’t the only ones hunting the star, however. 

The Last Wish plays out like Mad Max: Fury Road with a fairytale twist. Florence Pugh is gritty yet lovable as a fierce Goldilocks who was raised by the three bears (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo). Think Princess Mononoke meets Merida from Brave. John Mulaney strikes just the right balance between threatening and pathetic as “Big” Jack Horner, a former child performer who grows up to be a childish crime boss. Kevin McCann sounds like a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Don Knotts as Horner’s cricket conscious, who has his work cut out for him. Every character is a scene-stealer with each role impeccably cast. 

This is Puss’ story, though, and he emerges as an unexpectedly complex character. Adults may identify with Puss even more than kids as he wrestles with his legacy, regrets, and the inevitability of death. Children can still enjoy the film’s fast-paced humor, lively action, and creative world. The map to the Wishing Star changes the surrounding environment based on who holds it. This makes for a lot of inventive scenarios, almost as if the characters are moving across a multiverse. Each environment also cleverly provides a window into the characters’ personalities and what they desire most. 

Joel Crawford previously directed The Croods: A New Age. That sequel was better than anticipated and Crawford has done it again with The Last Wish. If I had to find a nitpick with the film, there’s an extended sequence where Puss is taken in by a cat lady that goes on for a bit too long. Once the hunt for the Wishing Star begins, though, the film is a hilarious, thrilling, and meaningful road trip without a dull minute. The ending suggests that we might not only see more of Puss, but the rest of the Shrek gang as well. If you asked me a few weeks ago if we needed a Shrek 5, I likely would’ve said no. After watching this wonderful film, it’s hard to resist saying yes. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish encourages us to live the best life possible. Hopefully, DreamWorks applies the same philosophy to future sequels.