PUSS IN BOOTS--THE LAST WISH is the sequel to PUSS IN BOOTS (the 2011 movie), PUSS IN BOOTS (the 2012 video), and PUSS IN BOOTS (the 2015 film series), and it also features a quick shot of Shrek in the distance, tying it to those films as well.

Puss in Boots starts out singing about being a hero, which seems a little disingenuous--and indeed, that is the point. When he learns that he is a cat with nine lives who has used up eight of them.

This year it seems like many of the fantasy tales involve a fantasy universe different from ours, rather than fantasy occurring within our world. But then this is pretty much always true of animated films in some sense. (The "Toy Story" films are a major exception.)

Antonio Banderas is always delightful to listen to (so says Evelyn), but the plot of PUSS IN BOOTS--THE LAST WISH is incoherent and difficult to keep straight. There is Puss in Boots and his team, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Big Jack Horner and his cadre, as well as a magical map, and a secret from Puss in Boots's past, The messages are laid on a bit heavy but I guess that is to be expected from a film with children as a large part of its audience. Somehow, though, in spite of this, it is enjoyable to watch.

Released theatrically 21 December 2022. Rating: low +3 (-4 to +4) or 8/10

Film Credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3915174/reference

What others are saying: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/puss_in_boots_the_last_wish

					Mark R. Leeper
					Copyright 2023 Mark R. Leeper