Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Puss in Boots is a medieval Italian fairy tale which later spread throughout Europe and is about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for his penniless and low-born master. Italian fairy tales are experienceing a surge, what with Guillermo del Toro's new take of the Pinocchio fairy tale also being nominated as Best Animated film for the 2023 Oscars. Many know this version of the character from the Shrek movies, and then the 2011 film featuring the swahbuckling kitty. He is at once arrogant, charming, and kind of adorable when he laps up his drink from a shot glass at the bar. In the hands of Antonio Banderas, who voices him, he is equal parts suave and silly. In this sequel, Puss meets up with his old nemesis, Kitty Softpaws, and they are joined by Perrito, a Chihuahua pretending to be a cat and the three go on a mission to find the mythical Wishing Star to restore Puss’ nine lives (he is down to his last one). The magical map that takes them there suggests a wildly divergent and amusing variety of paths, depending on who’s holding it, and each is populated with lush and vibrant animation that helps snappy dialogue prop up a derivative plot. It is overall quite entertaining and beautiful visually.