Name: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
Released: 2022-12-07T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Harvey Guillén, Wagner Moura, Florence Pugh

The opening shot of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) lingers on Antonio Banderas‘ voice as it crackles with vulnerability, his feline character gasping for breath beneath a fallen church bell. This is not the invincible swashbuckler of previous outings, but a cat clinging to life, and director Joel Crawford uses this moment to upend expectations. The film, a sequel to the 2011 spin-off from the Shrek franchise, dives deep into its protagonist’s psyche, exploring themes of mortality and legacy with a nuance that feels fresh for DreamWorks Animation.

Crawford steers the film away from the broad humor of the Shrek series. Instead, he crafts an adventure that wears its influences—Spaghetti Westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and the painterly aesthetic of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)—on its sleeve. The result is a visual feast that diverges sharply from the franchise’s previous installments, favoring a fairy-tale style that feels both modern and timeless.

The story picks up many years after Puss’ adventures with Shrek. Now a retired hero living as a house cat in Mama Luna’s home, Puss (Banderas) discovers his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. When crime family Goldilocks and the Three Bears arrive intending to hire him for a job, Puss decides to find the Last Wish of the fallen Wishing Star to restore his lost lives. Joined by Perrito (Harvey Guillén), an optimistic chihuahua disguised as a cat, Puss sets out on an epic journey that pits him against Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney), a corrupt pastry chef who intends to use the Star to control all of the world’s magic.

Banderas delivers a performance that anchors the film with emotional weight. His Puss is no longer the brash, self-assured hero but a cat grappling with his own mortality. The vulnerability Banderas brings to the role makes Puss’ journey feel earned, and it’s a testament to his skill that he can convey such depth through voice alone. Guillén’s Perrito provides excellent comic relief, his wide-eyed optimism serving as a foil to Puss’ growing self-doubt. The chemistry between Banderas and Guillén is palpable, their dynamic driving some of the film’s most engaging moments.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Florence Pugh‘s Goldilocks brings a mischievous energy to her role, while Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo bring depth to the Three Bears as a crime family. Wagner Moura’s wolf bounty hunter looms as a formidable antagonist, his presence adding tension to Puss’ quest.

Where the film excels is in its willingness to explore darker themes without sacrificing its sense of humor. The juxtaposition of life-and-death stakes with slapstick comedy creates a tonal balance that feels uniquely suited to the material. Scenes like Puss’ showdown with the wolf in Mama Luna’s home are tense and thrilling, while moments like Perrito’s attempts to blend in as a cat provide much-needed levity.

However, the film isn’t without its flaws. The pacing stumbles in the second act, particularly during Puss’ quest through Big Jack Horner’s factory lair. While the set piece is visually impressive—a swirl of pastel colors and geometric shapes that feels like a psychedelic nightmare—the sequence lacks the emotional weight of other moments. Additionally, some of the fairy tale references feel forced, as if the film is trying too hard to acknowledge its own meta-nature.

The Last Wish also struggles to find its audience. While it retains the family-friendly humor of the Shrek series, its introspective themes and darker tones may alienate younger viewers. At the same time, its reliance on franchise lore and fairy tale references could leave casual viewers in the dust. It’s a film that walks a fine line between nostalgia and innovation, and not every choice lands with precision.

Yet, when it works, The Last Wish soars. The animation is a standout, the painterly style lending the film a dreamlike quality that enhances its fairy-tale setting. The voice performances are uniformly strong, with Banderas and Guillén forming a dynamic duo that carries the film through its weaker moments. And Crawford’s direction proves adept at balancing humor and heart, action and introspection.

In the end, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a film that defies easy categorization. It’s not quite the broad comedy of the Shrek series, nor is it a full-fledged Spaghetti Western.