Every so often a film comes along that fits so squarely and neatly inside one’s own personal set of interests and enthusiasms that it is impossible to be objective about it. I try and keep my work here disinterested and arms’ length — clinical, if you will — but, y’know, I’m only human. Just so you know. With that disclaimer out of the way, then, here’s my review of Puss in Boots.
So. Much. Fun. Soooo. Much. Fun. As one of the smart Embassy staff pointed out to me afterwards, Puss (Antonio Banderas) has been basically single-pawedly keeping the Shrek franchise alive for a while so a spin-off was not only likely but necessary. And welcome.
A dashing feline hero — egotistical, narcissistic but with a heart of gold — Puss roams the countryside getting in to trouble with owners of shiny things and owners of lady cats. But he has a dark secret, a shadow, a burden to carry: a tragic miscarriage of justice back in his home town has made him a fugitive determined to clear his name. A chance meeting with childhood best friend Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis) offers him a shot at redemption — along with some magic beans that could lead to golden eggs in a castle in the sky.
Full of witty dialogue, cat jokes, visual puns and immaculate comic timing, Puss in Boots is a must-see for cat lovers of all ages. If you are more of a dog person then stay tuned, there’s something for you later on. Before I leave Puss, though, I want to pose you a question. If traditional animators can do such amazing and amusing work with only their mice to work with, why do we need all that new-fangled performance capture technology? Seems increasingly like a solution looking for a problem to me.
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