Dreamworks animation is a pretty strong representation of how I like my animation, funny, with no agenda and some adult innuendo thrown in there. Puss in Boots has some Shrek-sized shoes to fill being a spin-off of the ogre’s franchise. Antonio Bandares voices the lead, in this origin story of Puss, who grew up in an orphanage with his pal Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifanakis). He is then forced to live as an fugitive after a run in with law. Selma Hayek also stars as the new character, Kitty Soft Paws.
Although there is Humpty Dumpty and a strong use of the “Jack and the Bean Stalk” story, the film doesn’t have the fairy-tale immersion the Shrek series does. The first half plays quite slowly with the story hardly progressing. Banderas knows this character well after playing him so many times, but the usual wit isn’t as strong when the focus is entirely on him. With that being said, there are a number of funny moments, but they aren’t as common as they should be. The script seems to be more focused on making an epic cartoon than a family comedy. It doesn’t reach either goal.
Another issue is how unpleasant the characters are. Even the villains in Shrek are likeable. That’s not the case here. Besides Puss, every other personality is untrustworthy and wishy-washy. It may be unfair to compare Puss in Boots to Shrek, but spin-offs draw that association. The reality of it is that this had the opportunity to draw on the popularity of another franchise for less money. While I list the many flaws, I still find this brand of family film more beneficial to the target audience than Disney’s depression first, happiness later approach. If I had never seen Shrek this score would probably be higher. (7.0 out of 10)
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