My Review of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish · 12:51am Feb 27th, 2023
Rating Scale:
12/10—a complete masterpiece; flawless and outstanding
11/10—Excellent, near-perfect film
10/10—the standard rating; awesome film with a couple of flaws
9/10—a wonderful film with several flaws
8/10–a great film with numerous flaws but not enough to ruin it
7/10—a fun and entertaining movie; not great but still enjoyable
6/10—a slightly above average film; it is something I might watch again
5/10—mediocre movie; not awful but not great either
4/10—a below average film; it could have been much better
3/10—a bad film; poorly written and poorly executed
2/10—a very bad movie; the few good things in the movie overshadowed by the bad things
1/10—a terrible movie; a total waste of time
0/10—a worthless piece of abomination; should have never been made
Greetings, everyone! This is Mr. J back with another movie review for tonight! This evening, I will be reviewing Puss in Boots: The Last Wish of 2022! I am really excited to share with you guys my thoughts on this film because honestly…this is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. I have not seen such a perfect sequel to an animated film from DreamWorks in a long time…at least not since Kung Fu Panda 2. It is one of the few sequels in movie history that surpasses the original in every way and elevates the characters to a higher level of perfection through storytelling and character development. While I liked the first “Puss in Boots”, this one is even better! And here is why:
Puss in Boots is now on his last life after recklessly wasting his eight previous lives not too long ago. Arrogant and high-minded, he doubts any sort of danger will humble him until he finds himself face-to-face with the so-called Big Bad Wolf whom he assumes is a bounty hunter. After suffering a traumatizing defeat, he runs away and hears about the last wish. Seeking to get his lives back, he goes on a life-changing journey that gives him a greater view of life. Does he want that selfish wish, or will he learn to appreciate what he already has now?
Folks, the storytelling was immaculate! All the characters were done justice in this film, and that includes both the protagonists and the antagonists as well. I will talk about each of the latter group in a moment, but I want to highlight why the moral of the film really stuck with me.
I can actually relate with Puss when it comes to being afraid of losing something or being fearful of death. Even though I have the decency to never take life for granted, there are times in which I can be very anxious or be scared of something unfortunate. But like Puss, I can take a deep breath, relax, and always remember to take one little step at a time, one day at a time, and never be afraid of seeking help from those I trust and love. The movie did a great job representing what anxiety is like and how trauma can severely affect someone’s psyche.
I loved what they did with his character. And I especially loved how everyone didn’t get their last wish because they realized that what they were wishing for was with them all along. Having a family, having someone to trust and love, and being grateful for one life were all more than enough for each of them respectively. They didn’t need the final wish after all.
And that’s the thing: we often think that we need something big in order to make us happy, but the very things we overlook and ignore…are what we already have. So never neglect to spend time with a loving family, caring friends, and other community members you trust. And most importantly, live life to the fullest—for we all have one life. Make the best of it.
Softpaws and Perrito were well-written characters as well. They’ve been through a lot of stuff, and they managed to pull through with enough perseverance to face them. The latter though stood out more because he suffered abuse, hatred, and neglect. But guess what? He’s still as happy and strong as ever and giving therapy to those who need it! Good little doggie! And boy, he sure knows how to use that sailor mouth of his. ;)
Now…the villains of the movie. It actually used all three tropes of villainous characters very well from start to finish, and I will talk about each of them…from good to best.
1). Goldilocks and the Three Bears were excellent sympathetic antagonists. The poor girl wanted nothing more than to have a normal family although she had to commit a lot of unlawful deeds to fulfill her endgame. But at the end, she finally understood who her real family is. And for that, I’m happy for her. Oh, and the Three Bears were both hilarious and entertaining to watch. Baby Bear is probably my favorite one due to his voice and his personality. Props to Samson Kayo for his humorous yet solid vocal performance. And I was surprised to learn that Florence Pugh was Goldilocks’ voice actress; man, she did really good!
2). Big Jack Horner was surprisingly a breath of fresh air. He played the main antagonist role while being a self-aware, power-hungry, narcissistic, and megalomaniacal asshat. We needed a real villain who is evil for the sake of being evil—a villain who enjoys being wicked. Horner was such an awesome villain to watch! Frankly, I didn’t like him at first, but after I analyzed his character and what he represented, I quickly warmed up to him. I am shocked John Mulaney did a far better job voicing him here than he did in that god-awful Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers film. This is what happens when you have good character writing, logical casting, and competent voice direction. Thank you, DreamWorks, for putting Disney at their place.
3). I have been saving the best for the last…Death. 
He is the best character in this whole movie!! He is the physical embodiment of death, and his objective was to kill Puss for carelessly wasting away his eight lives. Plus, he is a neutral antagonist and an unstoppable force of nature—by far one of the most terrifying antagonists in all of DreamWorks. And I’m actually satisfied he had little screen time for two reasons: 1). Having too much screen time would have overstayed his welcome and made him less scary, and 2). whenever he isn’t on screen, you can still feel his horrifying presence and can never know when he might pop up again. That’s how good he is as an antagonist. Oh, and his whistle is both cool and scary to listen to. If you hear that whistle…well, it’s been nice knowing ya.
Anyway, he has an excellent design, splendid voice, and a terrifying demeanor. You can tell Wagner Moura had a lot of fun voicing this guy. I especially liked how he respected Puss at the end of the film once he realized the latter finally understood he is a mortal and needs to live his last life to the fullest and never take it for granted anymore. So you could say even Death himself had some character development too, if you will.
Lastly, the soundtrack is admirable, the animation is top-notch, and the action is eye-catching all the way through. I also hope DreamWorks keeps using this animation style because it looks more colorful and more lively in a way. I still hope to see the traditional 2D animation again in the future though (looking right at you, Disney!).
Overall, this was an amazing movie to watch, and it is so rewatchable it never gets old now! This deserves a rare 12/10! This is a much better movie than “The Bad Guys”, in my opinion.
Peace!
Your damn right it's an absolute MASTERPIECE. MEIN GOTT IT IS BEAUTIFUl.
I was about to riot if it was less than a 12.
This movie… is something I really need to make plans to see. I’ve seen all the memes on YouTube and everyone’s reactions and reviews. Also, Jack Horner is great, just amazing. He just oozes a wicked humor that I enjoy way too much. “I didn’t have much growing up. Just loving parents, stability, a mansion, and a thriving baked goods enterprise for me to inherit…useless crap like that.”
Isn't Death's name Lobo in this movie?
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“Lobo” means Wolf in Spanish, so yes and no.
Out of curiosity…
What were your thoughts on Ray Winstone’s and Olivia Coleman’s performances as Papa Bear and Mama Bear?
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Pretty good.
God, this movie is what is helping me to go through this awful final period of college. I loved the first one (have you reviewed it? I don´t remember.) and seeing my fellow Spanish cat return so gracefully was just amazing. I just have so many things to say about this movie.
I loved Puss´s character development in this. Seeing a male masculine character being this vulnerable is very important because it teaches boys that it´s ok to be afraid and having emotions doesn´t make you weak. And as you said, his fear is very relatable. As a kid I had the same fear that Puss had. And I also have had panic attacks, but thankfully they were very few. Speaking of which, his panic attack was a fantastic portrayal! And the way Perrito calmed him down was super accurate, as he was applying pressure therapy, which is something that therapy dogs do. And as always, Kitty was an absolute beautiful queen in this movie.
I also loved all the new characters. Everyone was worried about Perrito being annoying but he earned my heart the moment he mentioned in a trailer that he was a therapy dog. And as a future occupational therapist to be, I couldn´t resist. Goldilocks and the bears were super adorable and I agree with Baby Bear being the best one, Samson Kayo was hilarious in Our Flag Means Death and he was in here as well. But props to Ray Winstone and Olivia Colman as well. Florence Peugh also gave us a marvelous performance as Goldilocks. I was missing a villain like Jack Horner, so hilarious, I laughed out loud in his backstory scene. Poor cricket though.
As for Death... I love him so so much. He was a terrifying antagonist yet he´s no villain. Even though he was Death, we can see that he values life and he respects those who appreciate it. He was kind of a mentor figure to Puss, but he was so fed up with him that he decided to go the hard way. Plus, I can see him having a soft spot. And his whistle even though it´s intimidating yet also relaxing, depending on how you view death.
All in all, thank you for giving us a great review!
I saw this film on the first day of the year, in its Spanish Dub (I saw it in a Mexican Theatre) and I had a blast with this film, so much that part of me wants to see the Shrek franchise return. Death is probably one of my new favorite DreamWorks villains and was so entertaining, and yet its themes start to resonate with me. Between this and The Bad Guys, I'd say DreamWorks won me over this year and destroyed Disney and Pixar in every sense. 10/10