Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, directed by Joel Crawford was the second installment in the Puss in Boots franchise and the sixth installment in the Shrek Universe. It can be argued that this is the best film of the six, from the re-invented animation to well written storyline, this truly highlights the potential of the Shrek characters. This story follows the legendary cat known as Puss in Boots in his last life as he begins to realize what is truly important about living, and through this it gives us a surprisingly emotional and action packed movie.

Starting where the last movie ended, Puss in Boots remains a legend who’s ego and legacy overpower his love for anything or anyone else. But after his 8th death, only one life remains, and with the help of his friends Puss must realize what life is truly all about, and learn not to fear death. This movie takes a pre-existing character and adds some much needed development and dimension, giving not only fear, but the ability of self sacrifice and love. A good sequel should allow its characters to grow, and this movie definitely did. 

There are two very important things for a successful Puss in Boots story, Action and Comedy. And this film does not fall short of either. The fight scenes within the film are not only action packed but highly entertaining to watch with each character having their own unique weapons and fighting styles. The comedy of this movie takes more of a dark turn as compared to other animated movies, with some heavy hitters for viewers of all ages. This movie was filled with great jokes.

As a part of the future of this franchise, they revamped the style of animation. They take the choppy frame rate that some viewers may recognize from movies like Spider-Man: into the spider verse and mix it with the vibrant painter-like qualities of shows like Arcane. And with fight scenes heavily inspired by anime, this new art style makes each frame of this movie stunning. It provides a better immersion into the Shrek universe, and makes the movie’s messages that more impactful.

Overall, while this movie has promised a bright future for the Shrek and Puss and Boots franchises, it was not the perfect film. There were definitely some poorly written moments that came across as cheesy, or unnecessary. This movie, flaws and all, was highly entertaining and I would recommend it to others. I would rate this movie a 4/5