REVIEW: A cartoon with chemistry
“Puss in Boots” is the origin story of one of the most loved characters in the Shrek universe. The events in the movie take place before “Shrek 2.”
Puss (Antonio Banderas) is a thief wanted by the law. While searching for his next job, he discovers that the magic beans of legend he’d been searching for his entire life really exist.
He tracks down the bandits who have been guarding the beans, Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris, respectively).
Along the way, he’s interrupted by the extremely skilled thief Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and an old friend Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). The three decide to combine talents to find the magic beans, and a larger adventure begins.
“Puss in Boots” is a fantastic adventure with Spanish and western feels, perfect for a swashbuckler.
The story is simple, and there’s nothing original in the basic story elements. That said, the movie contains all the elements of a great film.
There are a handful of cat-related jokes, but there’s not too many to become annoying or repetitive.
One of the characteristics that separates “Puss in Boots” from the other Shrek movies is that the main characters are more based on nursery rhymes than fairy tales. This gave a fresh taste to the tales from the Shrek universe.
Banderas is perfect for the job as Puss. It sounds redundant, as he’s reprising his character from the Shrek movies, but when it comes to swashbuckling and Spanish dancing, there’s no one better than Banderas — even when he’s playing a cat.
As in “The Mask of Zorro,” he’s charming and gentle, yet fierce and deadly.
Hayek, who’s co-starred with Banderas in “Desperado” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” once again proves she’s a fantastic counterpart to Banderas’ rugged character. She’s graceful and smooth but she has an aggressive side that reveals itself when provoked.
The chemistry between Banderas and Hayek is so believable, it’s like their scenes were almost live action.
Galifianakis, a stand-up comedian turned actor, best known for “The Hangover” movies, does a great job of portraying a character with a hard shell and a soft inside. He’s good for more than laughs.
Thornton, of “Armageddon” and “Friday Night Lights,” actually doesn’t speak much in the movie, but his lines are comedic, and he has a presence that fills the screen. It was challenging to tell that the deep dark voice of Jack was really Thornton.
Sedaris, who’s played the voice of Cinderella in “Shrek the Third” and Deb in “Elf,” dons a Southern accent as the villainous Jill. Like Thornton, she appears throughout the film and plays a crucial role, and her short voice time was reasonable give a relatively short film time of 90 minutes.
Director Chris Miller has had a history in the Shrek universe. He’s played the voice of various characters in the first three Shrek films and also directed “Shrek the Third.”
His second major directorial release fits well into the Shrek lore and blends well with the style of a solid family-friendly film.
Harry Jackman, who’s assisted John Powell and Hans Zimmer in “Kung Fu Panda” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” respectively, and who composed the music for “X-Men: First Class” produced a wonderfully fun, festive, well-balanced score for “Puss in Boots.”
Jackman recruited Rodrigo y Gabriella additional spice with his guitar to further shape and define the action, excitement and intensity of the movie. Gabriella previously contributed to the “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” soundtrack.
The story is too familiar and predictable to be a solid A, but it’s still enjoyable, exciting and humorous, well worth the given grade.
“Puss in Boots” is a feel good story with friendship, betrayal, action, adventure, excitement, romance and redemption.
It’s a good family movie and a great date movie. If you don’t want to see it in the theater, definitely rent it when it comes out.
– Spencer Palmer is a graduate student working toward an MBA, with a recent bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Email him at spencer.palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu.