Film Review: PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (2022): Antonio Banderas is Almost Perfect as the Voice of the Title Character in Animated Prequel

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Review

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, written by Paul Fisher and starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Harvey Guillen, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, Olivia Colman, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Conrad Vernon, Anthony Mendez and Miguel Gabriel.

Antonio Banderas returns as the heroic Puss in Boots in the hysterical, if a bit by-the-numbers, new Shrek prequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. This picture focuses on what happens when our beloved confident feline, Puss (voice of Banderas) confronts the fact that he is up to his last life. As we all know, cats have nine lives or so the theory goes. When Puss goes to see a doctor (voiced by Anthony Mendez), he is informed that he’s up to life nine and is recommended to take a more relaxed approach to living. But, Puss is a swashbuckler like no other. He can always crack that funny one-liner and embody coolness in almost every action he takes. He’s one of the most well-conceived characters in the DreamWorks universe.

As the movie opens, Puss bravely goes up against a giant and has a bit of a struggle until he officially learns that he is down to his last life. Puss is a wanted man so decides to hide out in a cat house run by Mama Luna (the entertaining voice of Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Puss extends himself a white beard which makes him look like an aging old cat. When Puss meets a dog with a checkered past known as Perrito (the delightful Harvey Guillen), the movie creates an unusual screen pairing between the confident Puss and the insecure Perrito. When Kitty Softpaws (voice of the reliable Salma Hayek Pinault), the love interest for Puss, and a magical map appear in the story line, the audience will probably know they are in good hands as the events in the picture play out in a familiar, but nevertheless, entertaining fashion. The map is said to lead to a Wishing Star which will help make whoever makes that wish’s dreams come true.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears make their way into the picture. Florence Pugh, of all people, delivers the voice of Goldilocks with her signature wit and, in an even more inspired casting decision, Olivia Colman shines with her voice-over work as Mama Bear. Both Pugh and Colman provide the viewer with nice characterizations here and the audience would expect nothing less considering the formidable talents of both of these fine actresses.

There are some major villains here. Jack Horner (John Mulaney) is a huge one, literally, as he sets out to make his own wish to fulfill his own wicked schemes. More urgent to Puss may be a Big Bad Wolf who seems a bit like the Grim Reaper and is voiced by Wagner Moura. While these villains help move the plot forward, they only work in spurts. The movie is more fun when it focuses on the friendship formed between Puss, Kitty Softpaws and Perrito. Puss and Kitty wouldn’t mind naming Perrito an official name and this makes for a cute subplot throughout the picture. It’s also funny that Kitty says she trusts Perrito more than she does the sly Puss at one point in the movie.

What would a Puss in Boots movie be without the giant eyes that the two beloved cats (Puss and Kitty) roll up to get what they want from others? Nothing and this movie makes the most of these scenes with Perrito trying to get sympathy by rolling his eyes into huge examples of cuteness and other characters in the film respond by saying the cute dog looks like he is having a hernia when he tries to do this. These scenes are nothing short of inspired.

Puss having a mid-life crisis and coming to terms with his mortality is not something that is here to appeal to the kids. This whole concept will rather get the adults to pay attention to what’s happening onscreen while the children in the audience will be focusing more on our heroes and villains while trying to steal the one-liners from the film to share with their friends at school. Still, Puss’s fear of his mortality becomes fun to watch and I was hooked even though everything else going on in the picture seemed pretty conventional.

Banderas once again proves he is a man of unparalleled talent when it comes to voicing Puss in Boots. Banderas was born to play this role. His scenes with Kitty Softpaws are endearingly entertaining and Banderas is the quintessential Mr. Cool in this movie even when Puss starts to feel a bit insecure. Only Banderas’s charming voice could keep this character from feeling mundane when Puss starts to lose confidence in himself. In fact, Puss helped make the Shrek films so much more fun and to see him with his own spin-off picture is delightful.

Any audience member will be able to guess what happens with the Last Wish referred to in the film’s title but this is still an animated movie worth seeing. It’s a tale of friendship and staying grounded in life while also trying to be heroes when necessary in the interim. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is entertaining and may be a last hurrah for these spin-off movies that focus solely on Puss and his friends. Banderas has always made this character enormously energetic and once again succeeds in bringing Puss to life. He’s a hero that will be cherished even if the movie goes through some of its paces in a predictable fashion.

Rating: 7.5/10

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