Puss in Boots (2011)

To be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of the Shrek films. I like the first Shrek, am tolerable of Shrek 2, don’t like Shrek the Third, and can’t stand Shrek Forever After. So when news got out that they were making a spin-off based on the character Puss in Boots, I was less than enthusiastic, to say the least. In fact, I was just planning to watch this film pass by. I wasn’t even going to see it on DVD, but was taken to go see it for free. I will never pass up a free film. But watching the film in 3D, on the big screen, it really is not a bad film. It is a pretty good film. The best thing about this film, I have to say, is the fact that it completely separates itself from the other films in the Shrek films. There are no mentions of Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, Farquad, the rest. They do not exist in the world of Puss in Boots, only the characters in the film. And aside from that honorable fact, the film is just a really good film. Working actually better as an adventure western than a comedy, Puss in Boots is for me what Rango is for the rest of the world. Featuring the voice of Antonia Banderas returning as outlaw cat Puss in Boots, the film follows Boots as he lives on the outskirts of towns, stealing and lying to make his way in the world. But his world comes to a halt when he meets up with fellow outlaw Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek-I hate that name so much), along with Puss’s estranged friend Humpty Dumpty (Zack Galafinakis), who get him to take part in a ridiculous scheme to take down murderers Jack and Jill, and steal their magic beans, and then be rich from the golden eggs. The film is one of those rare cases where it looks much better on digital fake celluloid than it is on paper. On paper, this film was a dud, an unfunny mess that people just abandoned. I have not talked to a single person who thought that the Shrek franchise had any more to it, including myself. However, I was very wrong. I was expecting a flop, I got a surprisingly enjoyable film that I can recommend as a very fun animated film, one that the entire family should enjoy. The 3D is not necessary, but not painful or distracting. I would recommend Puss in Boots as a fun family rental, but there still is better stuff out there.
8/10