Easily the best thing about the last two Shrek films, Antonio Banderas’ beheeled bad kitty is back, ready to claw and charm his way back into your good boots.
Far away from Shrek’s Land of, eh, Far Far Away, Puss In Boots traverses as many different landscapes as it does plot-points. Deftly navigating laughs and tears as Puss travels from gorgeous Mediterranean landscapes to beautiful cloud-top castles and back again, Puss In Boots might not be as jam-packed with jokes as the first two Shrek films, but you can’t say it’s short on adventure. Flashbacks reveal how a young Puss bonded with the mischievous Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) as they grew up in an orphanage, and a series of swashbuckling adventures shows how he became his town’s hero and earned his boots. But when Humpty betrays him, the feline finds himself a fugitive – but years later, still can’t resist Humpty’s money-making scheme to track down some magical beans and capturing a gold-laying goose.
Banderas is hilarious in the leading role, bringing the laughs with his Latino lover one-liners and self-assured swagger. But the lacklustre supporting characters fare less well than the leading cat. A brilliantly choreographed litter-box tango aside, Puss’ feline flirtations with criminal mastermind Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) feel rather tame, while Galifianakis’ nondescript performance brings nothing to Humpty Dumpty – whose face is a creepy mix of Matthew Broderick and the Bride of Chucky.
Wonderfully animated and featuring a steady stream of (slightly clichéd) jokes about Fight Club and Goosezilla, Puss In Boots is a fun, adventure-filled frolic that will keep the kids laughing – if a little headspun from the convoluted plot. But compared to the first two brilliantly funny Shrek films, the film’s humour lacks a bit of bite. I prefer my kitty with claws.