by Kajsa Forden
Online Editor
Puss in Boots, the prequel spin-off from the popular Shrek film series, is a surprisingly original movie, with minor flaws.
Puss (Antonio Banderas) is the titular feline outlaw who becomes interested in the story of some magic beans that are being held by Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris).
Puss attempts to steal the beans but is thwarted by a masked feline.
After a chase and thrilling dance fight, Puss finds out that the masked feline is Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), who is working for Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis).
Puss first refuses to work with Humpty but, after telling the story of their childhood friendship, he changes his mind.
What ensues is nothing short of hilarious. While the storyline is original compared to some of the Pixar and Disney movies that are cranked out today, it is not perfect.
Humpty Dumpty’s tragic “fall off the wall” is portrayed as the culmination of a severe case of kleptomania; Jack and Jill are a heinous married couple.
These additions ultimately change the original fairy tales, but do not detract from the movie.
The plot is a terrific mix-up of nursery rhymes, but does lean toward ridiculousness.
The movie was animated, but nonetheless the voice acting is worth noting.
Banderas and Hayek have perfect chemistry throughout, but the show is stolen by the “Ohhh Cat” (Bob Persichetti).
While the cat only made three appearances, each moment was a delight. The “Ohhh Cat” would wait until a particularly shocking moment or line and put its paw to its mouth, exclaiming, “Ohhh!”
Of course, the wonders of voice acting did not end there.
Thornton and Sedaris as Jack and Jill give us what seem to be the villainous hicks of Mexico, though it wasn’t clear what they were really going for.
Galifianakis was also a top actor, giving Humpty Dumpty the nervousness and intelligence required to play a children’s character in a mature setting.
While the voice acting is good and the animation is spectacular, the writing is lacking.
Yes, the plot is original, but the script is not. Kitty Softpaws has three scenes dedicated to her robbery skills, in which she steals Puss’s hat, boots, money and boots again.
Also, Puss’s reputation as ‘The Furry Lover’ among other names, is repeated at least three times.
The nursery story of Puss in Boots is fairly well known, but DreamWorks took it further with themes of kleptomania and excessive sexual innuendo.
The result is a children’s story that has many undertones of adult humor.
Consequently, the script could almost make viewers wonder if this is a children’s movie as advertised, or meant for an older audience.
Puss in Boots is a great movie for kids, but the writing is lacking and may continue a few too many undertones for parents to remain comfortable.
Overall, Puss in Boots is recommended to anyone who may have been disappointed with the later Shrek movies, as this film will definitely redeem DreamWorks Animation for any past mishaps.
Grade: B