8/10

What the shit?

Why was this so good?

I remember seeing the trailer months ago and literally having just about zero amount of interest in ever seeing this. Then it started getting Top Gun levels of buzz and I was like what the hell? Am I going to have to see the Puss in Boots sequel now? Are you kidding? I am glad that I did see this though because this was honestly a very good movie. It’s clear they put a ton of effort into this to make it as enjoyable as possible. It’s much better than whatever sludge Disney puked out last year. Strange world? The animation is vibrant and wonderful to look at leaning more into the style that Spider-verse had popularized with lower frame rate and such. It’s also a really funny movie, very well written humor that had me actually laughing out loud.

The story is also good. About Puss facing his own mortality after losing 8 of his nine lives. The fact that the literal personification of Death is the villain of this film is so awesome. It’s often a silly film but he has a presence whenever he shows up and that whistle actually gave me goosebumps. I wish every damn review, tweet, and TikTok I saw about this film didn’t telegraph that he was Death because it’s a good third act reveal but that’s not a knock on the film. Puss doesn’t even defeat Death in the end because no one can, he just has a new appreciation for life which Death acknowledges and why he stops chasing after him. This is much deeper than I ever thought a puss in boots movie could get. 

There are other characters that add a lot to the film as well. Florence Pugh’s Goldilocks has a good arc, a lot of good scenes with the three bears. Along with Perrito the dog who’s the heart of the film as he helps Puss go through his arc. Also you can just tell that Antonio Banderas put his whole soul into voicing this cat. John Mulaney’s villain character is hilarious. With that Jimmy Stewart Jiminy Cricket being horrified by his actions. There’s a lot of murder and adult jokes in this which I appreciate. Overall, I would recommend this one. Very well made, anyone can enjoy this.

2022 Ranked
At the Theaters