Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is more than just another frivolous spinoff. It’s a thoughtful journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Synopsis
Puss in Boots, the swashbuckling swordscat who is admired by all, loved by too many, and down to his final feline life no thanks to living recklessly for years. Faced with death in the flesh, Puss retires to a cattery, where he then lives a humiliating life among common cats. However, the appearance of a certain old flame and a wish-granting quest offers Puss a second chance at glory. Should Puss be able to find the magical Wishing Star at the heart of a dark forest, he will be able to regain all his lives. Better yet, he will be able to defeat death.
Snappy Review
Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey is my second favourite ride at Universal Studios Singapore, and I’ve gone on it numerous times. For example, when visiting the park in Jan 2022, I went on it three times.
The weird thing, though. Each and every time after the heady ride, I’d tell myself, you got to get down to watching the movie. But till today, I haven’t even watched five minutes of it.
Yup, I’ve never watched Puss in Boots (2011). There is but one reason for this too. I’ve never liked Puss. Amusing as his googly eyes are in the Shrek movies, I find the feline adventurer insufferable. Worse, he never does display any outstanding prowess in those Dreamworks classics, does he? Most of the time, he was but smooth talk.
I thus carried a huge prejudice with me into the cinema on Friday. In other words, I expected The Last Wish to just be about Puss’ ego and how he’s put into his place and all that. Well, the story did begin with that, but very quickly, it became quite another business. In fact, I was surprised by how readily Puss accepted his mortality; the metaphorical hung up his cloak/boots. How quickly the story then took on another identity too.
What followed from that point was furthermore a contemplative journey that was as thoughtful as it was ticklish. Through the dizzying misadventures of Puss and his new rivals, the question of “why does life always feel elsewhere” was sensitively examined. While the conclusion to this examination ultimately became formulaic, it still left me with many fuzzy feelings, as well as made me slightly more accepting of whatever dissatisfaction I have to endure in 2022.
The Last Wish, moreover, has a certain dark edge, the story, quite boldly toeing into corners that most “family-friendly” movies would stay away from. To be clear, these moments do not make the show unsuitable for kids. On the contrary, I feel they add a layer of sophistication that prevents this Shrek spinoff from being just another raucous Dreamworks animated comedy. To an extent, I’d even say these are the moments that truly infuse the movie with personality.
To repeat, this was not at all the sequel I expected. I was thrilled by the painterly action sequences. I thought the voiceovers were spicy and witty. But above all else, I truly loved the introspective touch.
Definitely a superb movie to watch this festive month, if you have yet to do so.
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