DreamWorks Animation films have always been well received by critics, parents and kids because they have made some of the most lovable movie series like “Shrek”, “Kung Fu Panda” and “How to Train Your Dragon” — with their newest movie, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”, being no exception. I went to the theater with low expectations, since I only saw bits of trailer clips on social media and decided to watch it since it was a DreamWorks Animation movie, and it did not disappoint.
The movie starts off with a catchy song to introduce the character “Puss in Boots.” The story, though seemingly simple, actually has a pretty meaningful theme to it about Puss’ life and how he has used up eight of his nine lives and is left with only one more. Due to this risk of permanent death, he won’t be able to go on any more grand adventures.
He drinks his sorrows away at a bar where he meets the movie’s main antagonist, Death. This is honestly one of my favorite introductions to an animated film antagonist ever. Death appears out of nowhere, introduced by an ominous whistle. He sits beside Puss, and tells him how he is a big fan. He then proceeds to ask Puss for his autograph as he takes out Puss’ bounty flier. Puss tells Death that his award for his bounty won’t come easy, and they proceed to fight.
DreamWorks does a great job at showing how powerful and frightening Death is during the fight. Puss fears for the first time in his life that he is actually going to die. Puss sadly loses, as he is overwhelmed by how strong Death is, and he runs away into the woods. DreamWorks’ past antagonists in their movies have always been great, but Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow, the writers, really went above and beyond with Death.
The rest of the movie introduces many characters, all in search of a wishing star that lies in the dark forest. Each character had their own unique personalities. DreamWorks connects these characters to fairy tales, as they did with the “Shrek” movies in the past.
The whole time I was watching the movie, I was surprised how well the animation was done. Everything from the colors to the fights was fantastic, and it is definitely the studios best yet.
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is definitely one of the best animated films to come out this year. I left the theater satisfied after seeing such a well-written story with characters that each had their own vibrant personality. This movie shows just how far DreamWorks has come in the past years with its animated movies. They have definitely made another animated favorite for people to enjoy for generations to come.
