Movies with Isaiah: 'Puss in Boots:The Last Wish' surprisingly entertaining

I've always had a sincere affection for cats. As a cat owner myself, I find them fascinating, independent, reliable, affectionate and very intelligent, as well as wonderful companions.

The character of Puss In Boots from the Shrek franchise ultimately proved itself as an exciting, unique and a charming addition to the storyline and became a surprise fan favorite. Whether it's his dashing rogue charm, fearless courage or his ability to utilize the vulnerable sad cat eyes in catching adversaries off guard, there's no denying the impact the character has made within the franchise and on popular culture. However, I must admit that despite having watched all the Shrek films, the thought never occurred that any spin-off featuring side characters, without the main ones, would result in anything close to entertaining.

Essentially, my expectations were at an exponentially low level to where I can honestly say that I had no literal interest in "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish." The trailer didn't do much for me, TV spots didn't increase my intrigue, and without the other major players from Shrek, I prepared myself for the mindset of not caring for the film in totality. "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" sees the return of the titular character on another adventure involving dynamics of self-discovery and the meaning of living in the moment despite the obstacles, reuniting with familiar characters and the introduction of new, amusing and unique takes on classic fairy tales and their respective characters.

"Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" explores the prospect of our feline character possibly experiencing what may very well be the last of his nine lives. He has the nature of living on the edge, freely advertising himself as a rogue charmer and outlaw, pandering to the audience who are mesmerized by his very presence all the while performing heroic feats. Puss enters on an emotional journey of self-reflection in terms of coming to grips with his own existence and the inevitable concept of meeting his end.

Once again, there weren't any expectations of this cinematic outing as far as I was concerned. I figured it would simply be another run-of-the mill animated feature that was significantly by the numbers. I am very pleased to state that I was immensely wrong with my initial reservations, and it was quite possibly the best animated feature of 2022. Aside from the fantastic voice acting of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Ray Winstone, Florence Pugh and Harvey Guillén, where "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" fully succeeded is the innovative, precise and clear animation style that was utilized from the familiar concepts used in the past Shrek films. The best way I can describe the approach is how "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" captured the flashy comic book elements that embraced the colorful world of Spider-Man. The same approach is used with this animated feature by literally bringing a fairy tale to life in refreshing fashion. I found myself in complete awe of the action sequences, beautiful visualizations and how grounded the art was while still maintaining enough of a traditional feel without it feeling jarring in the slightest. Another element that was refreshing was the inclusion of a childhood fairy tale's characters with a different twist involved. Whether it's "Goldilocks and The Three Bears," nursery folkloric "Little Jack Horner" or Talking Cricket from "Pinocchio," there's a little and a lot of everything for everyone in this film. I confidently make that statement without any hesitation whatsoever.

Amusing Easter eggs from certain films, popular culture and aspects of breaking the fourth wall are intentionally done in an intelligent and clever manner. I couldn't help but find humor in the obvious references to Banderas and Hayek's performances in their past films "Desperado" and "Once Upon A Time In Mexico." Words cannot fully articulate how this feature is not only pleasing to the eyes, but also, strong emotions and character development in the story present a positive, hopeful and heartfelt message of living the one life to the fullest. I was incredibly moved and surprised at how serious it became without being political, preachy or traumatizing. Watching this film has prompted me to view the other "Puss In Boots" outings, too.

One of the important dynamics that I look for even in animated features is whether adults would enjoy it as well. "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" is literally the perfect film for adults, families, children, couples, etc. There's nothing that ventures into the realm of the profane, lewd, crude or disturbing paths that would make parents question if the content were appropriate for their children to view. In my honest opinion, this is another required viewing for all ages.

From outstanding animation and visuals to the action sequences, Latin-flavored music, amusing references to past action-adventure extravaganzas, popular culture references that are blatantly on the nose and an ending that opens the door for the return of familiar iconic characters from the past, the film has everything. In closing, "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" receives a much-deserved and resounding 10/10 and two-thumbs-up reaction. Very important to mention is that there's a lot of honest and true cat humor included in the story, too. Either way, this is simply a feature that cannot and shouldn't be missed. Highly recommended.

Isaiah Ridley works at Beacon Cinemas in Sumter. To watch his movie reviews online, find him @Izzy's Cinematic Escape on YouTube.