Released on Dec. 11, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” has taken the animation world by storm. The sequel, released 11 years after the original movie, was a pleasant surprise in today’s animation world. 

Starring Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Samilia Hayik (Kitty Soft Paws) and Harvey Gullian (Perro), the movie follows Puss in Boots as he attempts to replenish his nine lives by embarking on a quest to find the Mythical Last Wish. Along the way, he forges bonds with an emotionally adept dog, Perro, and a fearless assailant, Kitty Softpaws. While on his quest Goldilocks played by Florence Pugh, Jack Horner played by John Mulaney and the Big Bad Wolf played by Wagner Moura all challenge the combative cat.

The talented cast and creative dialogue created a perfect combination of humor, adventure and a dash of the cheesy life lessons we have all grown to love. The relationship between Perro and Puss in Boots is especially heartwarming. You see Puss grow into an emotionally mature character who values not only himself but his new family.Additionally, the humorous relationship between Goldilocks and the three bears and all the other villains provides an enjoyable side story to the main quest.

On top of the storyline, the animation was also stunning. The attention to color and detail created the perfect world for the lovable characters to live. The expectations set by preceding movies like “How To Train Your Dragon” or “Kung Fu Panda” were definitely met with this phenomenal new release. 

Of course, like most animated movies the film included some cringey parts and included tired cliches. With themes like family and humility, it is hard to not fall into the trap of cheesiness. However, the movie incorporated these elements in a way that did not distract from the overall excellence of the movie. 

Overall, the stacked cast, vibrant animation and compelling storyline all lived up to Dreamworks’ expectations and even outcompeted other newly released movies like “Avatar”, “The Way of Water” and “The Whale.”