El gato!
Who the heck does not know the swashbuckling, debonair, fighter and lover Puss in Boots? The guys behind the now-over Shrek series gave our favorite Espanol outlaw gato his own full length feature film knowing very well how the delightfully contrasting character of Puss, the generic orange-and-white tomcat with the deep and sensual, latin lover voice of Antonio Banderas, has captivated the world, going down as the cutest animated thing in animation history.
In Puss in Boots, a prequel to the Shrek series, we are reeled back in time to discover the roots and the legend of Puss and his Corinthian-leather boots and how he came to be an outlaw. And then we are shot back to present day where Puss is reunited after seven years with his childhood friend-turned-enemy: the breakfasty smelling Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), a bad news egg with self-esteem issues and whose self-pitying nature has evolved into the dangerous geek-outcast-turned-mastermind-terrorist kind. A minion and a sidekick by nature, Puss reluctantly agrees to team up with the apologetic Humpty to the greatest score ever: steal the magic beans from an old, ugly, and burly married couple, Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris), climb the beanstalk, and snatch the golden eggs from the sky castle-- the stolen goods a way to redeem Puss' reputation in his hometown of San Ricardo. But the heist team also involves what Puss lovingly describes as an "attractive devil woman," Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek).
Twisting our beloved childhood fairy tales for humor is the core element of the film's screenplay. However, it will barely tickle your funny bone (unless you laugh easily). Although the popular fairy tale characters are impressively expressive and creatively modified, and the plot well-crafted, the humor is thin and some of the lines are plain and predictable that those looking for gut laughter will go home unsatisfied. Puss and Kitty Softpaws' playful banter and inside jokes are targeted to the adults but can only go so far as to make us smile. Probably the best laughter-inducing factor here is Humpty, whose uncoordinated and limited movements due to his shape will crack you up all the time.
The Dreamworks animation is superb; the details, the colors, and the effects are polished, rich and vivid, and the trip up to the sky castle is breathtakingly beautiful. And with the 3D effect, Puss' cuteness was multiplied a hundred times, the cuteness making you a little crazy and you just want to grab the gigantic 3D face of Puss and smother him with kisses.
Puss in Boots, directed by Shrek director Chris Miller, is a film oozing with cuteness in every corner, making your dopamine levels go all silly but will leave you itching for more wit and humor. Recommended for cat lovers, visual people, the kids, and the kids at heart, Puss in Boots is a visually striking, unexceptional adventure story more fitting to be watched in 3D for maximum visual experience.
2.5 out of 5 stars
Now showing in theaters near you.
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