Running Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Rating: PG
Director: Chris Miller
Quick Impressions:
We’ve been excited to see Puss in Boots for a long time, particularly my two-year-old who has been pretending to be Puss off-and-on for almost a month. After a couple of weeks of nothing particularly outstanding in theaters, we were longing for a movie with a little magic, and Puss in Boots fortunately delivered, providing genuine entertainment for the whole family.
The Good:
Antonio Banderas makes Puss himself so captivating that the story surrounding him hardly seems to matter. Even a largely incoherent mess probably would have won over the audience because Puss has such winning charisma. Fortunately, though, the story is fairly well thought out and engaging in its own right. Granted, nothing about Puss’s tale is exactly original, but it all feels about right.
Both Banderas and Selma Hayek have such sonorous, compelling voices. Even with bad lines, they would have been an engaging screen couple, but the script is well paced and reasonably witty, a bonus in a movie that could easily fall back on Puss’s adorably big kitty eyes to win the audience over.
Another strength of Puss in Boots is the economy of characters. The Shrek series sometimes goes overboard, forcing the audience to endure not-always-clever cameos from a seemingly endless parade of minor fairy tale folk, but this spin-off wisely refrains from jam-packing the movie with colorful but unimportant characters. Almost the entire story focuses on the core group: Puss, Kitty Softpaws, Humpty Alexander Dumpty, and Jack and Jill. This tight focus enables the plot to advance quickly, preventing younger members of the audience from getting bored or distracted.
Though Puss in Boots has plenty of humor, it wisely values story over jokes, a choice that ultimately pays off in gold. Part of the appeal of the Shrek series is its irreverent attitude toward fairy tales, but Puss embraces the magic that Shrek mocks. The magic beans work. (And they’re so glowy!) The beanstalk leads to a realm of enchantment and wonder where the protagonists encounter genuine marvels even before discovering the golden goose. Shrek is an unlikely hero, Puss a far more traditional one. Even cynical Humpty Alexander Dumpty turns out to be a good egg in the end.
Funniest Scene:
The movie starts to build momentum in the marvelous scene in The Glitterbox when Puss battles a masked opponent by an unexpected method. The fight is definitely a joy to watch, and the reactions of the other cats provoke lots of laughs.
Best Scene Visually:
Dreamworks consistently offers beautiful animation with a particular knack for captivating scenes in the rain. Every scene in Puss in Boots is lovely to look at, but the beanstalk scenes (both going up and coming down) stand out as especially aesthetically exciting. The stalk itself has such visible depth and detail, and the motion it brings with it makes the scene so intense that it’s impossible to look away. Even coming down, the beanstalk brings visual sizzle.
Best Joke:
The scenes inside The Glitterbox got the most laughter from the audience, particularly one little cat who kept reacting to awkward moments. I personally found Jack and Jill’s ongoing banter about having a baby awfully amusing, though. Jack’s longing for a child definitely speaks more to the adults in the audience, but it’s funny without being crude or cheap. I also laughed out loud at Puss’s reaction to receiving his boots for the first time.
Best Action Sequence:
The fight scene in the stagecoach—when Puss and Kitty Softpaws must get past some pigs to swipe the magic beans but unfortunately incur the wrath of Jack and Jill—involves lots of speed and sword play. What makes the scene work particularly well, I think, is Puss’s scramble to keep track of the three magic beans, which, conveniently, glow.
Best Surprise:
One of the movie’s nicest moves is the ultimate destiny of Humpty Dumpty. A late revelation about the true nature of his character infuses the entire story with a moving meaning and provides a highly satisfying motive for all his frantic scheming.
The Performances:
Antonio Banderas is perfect as Puss. I’d gladly watch hundreds of sequels, and knowing Dreamworks, I’m sure I’ll get my chance. And Selma Hayek provides a perfect complement as the wily and beguiling Kitty Softpaws.
I spent the entire movie trying to place the voice of Zach Galifianakis and was still shocked to see his name in the credits. He shows some nice range here, making a thoroughly convincing (and clean-shaven) Humpty Dumpty.
Ordinarily, I am not a fan of Billy Bob Thornton (though I’ll acknowledge he’s a talented actor), but I loved him as the would-be family man, Jack. Amy Sedaris was also good as Jill.
The Negatives:
I am slightly confused about why the plot against Puss worked, even for a little while. I understand why the townspeople were angry at Puss, but why were they so willing to accept and trust everyone else? The complicated history shared by Puss and Humpty felt awfully familiar, but I’m not sure that’s really a bad thing in a movie like this.
Also, this may not be a fair criticism, but I wish the movie had spent more time in the sky.
Overall:
Puss in Boots managed to entertain my eight-year-old stepson, my two-year-old daughter, my husband, and me the entire time it was on the screen, a rare feat indeed. I’d recommend it to anyone, but especially to families with young children. Like Shrek, it offers a lot of humor, but Puss also has a kind of earnest innocence that makes fairy tales seem magical again. The plot isn’t exactly ground-breaking, but the movie looks beautiful, feels magical, and kept my two-year-old on the edge of her seat. Like Humpty Dumpty, Puss is more solid than you might expect and has surprising heart.