It’s school holidays.
So, what does that mean? – A lot of things, sure. Kids everywhere, tired looking parents, an uptick in coffee consumption. But, I’ll tell you one thing it means for certain: A seemingly endless onslaught of animated features created specifically for children which curmudgeonly movie reviewers are tasked with watching and critiquing. The same gents who could – and certainly would - pick apart Citizen Kane, giving it a passing grade of C-.
Perhaps, like the grinches that they all are, these light-hearted festivals of fun can remind them what it means to be a kid – and their hearts might just grow three sizes that day.
In the case of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the heart-growing is in full swing.
The feat from director Joel Crawford to accomplish anything with a film that is a sequel to a spin-off of a series 20-years old is exceptional. And that’s undoubtedly helped by the cast at his disposal, the veteran pair of Antonio Banderas (as Puss) and Salma Hayek (Kitty Softpaws).
Discovering that his passion for adventure has taken its toll - burning through eight of his nine lives - Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives. Channelling Indiana Jones, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a whimsical treat.
The world of Shrek has always been replete with humour, particularly in its ability to embrace storytelling tropes, as well as breaking them in hilarious ways. And that’s the strength of writer Tommy Swerdlow’s script – it takes that manic, Grimm’s Fairytale world and turns it up to 11, adding in the spice of a Spaghetti Western.
As well, there’s a surprising elegance to the film’s animation, pushing the envelope of what we expect as an audience accustomed to two decades of Shrek and its spinoffs. Through a new, stylised approach, this film is as fresh and fun as they come.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is showing at the Bowen Summergarden Cinema now.
