Puss In Boots

Purrfectly Acceptable

Director: Chris Miller

Writers: Charles Perrault, Brian Lynch, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler, Jon Zack
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thorton, Amy Sedaris

SYNOPSIS: Before he crosses paths and swords with Shrek, Puss in Boots embarks on a quest to find magic beans that will lead to the goose that lays the golden eggs. Joining him are thief Kitty Soft Paws and childhood orphan friend Humpty Alexander Dumpty.

REVIEW: Chris Miller, writer and director of Shrek the Third, returns to helm the first Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots. Now that the Shrek series has run its course, DreamWorks goes back to uncover an origin story of one of the series' well-loved characters. Based on characters by "Mother Goose" creator Charles Perrault, Brian Lynch (Hop), David H. Steinberg (Slackers), Tom Wheeler (NBC's The Cape), and Jon Zack (The Perfect Score) team up for an original script on the sword-wielding, leather-booted feline.

Instead of the medieval Renaissance Fair that is the world of Shrek, princesses, dragons, and talking donkeys, Puss in Boots changes the landscape from fairy tale forests to spanish sands. We meet up with Puss (Antonio Banderas) at the height of his outlaw notoriety in the canyons and plains outside of San Ricardo, the town he grew up in at Imelda's orphanage. Flashing back and forth in his life, we find out about Puss' blood-brother friendship with fellow orphan Humpty Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis), whose inventive and intelligent nature is only exceeded by his passion to find three magic beans that will lead to the goose that lays the golden eggs. They grow up close. But as they grow up, Pus becomes the hero of the town and Humpty becomes obsessed with beans. Flash forward in time and we find Puss a thief and a romantic Don Juan, tracking a big score that will redeem his reputation in San Ricardo. Foiled in the stealing of Jack (Billy Bob Thorton) and Jill's (Amy Sedaris) magic beans by the masked cat burgler Kitty Soft Paws (Salma Hayek), Puss in forced into an alliance with a grown up Humpty and Soft Paws with a master plan to get the beans and the golden eggs.

DreamWorks continues to produce animation that dazzles and thrills. With attention to every detail, from the whiskers on Puss' face to the gristled whiskers of a dead beat bar patron, Puss in Boots is a joy to watch. Funny and silly, takes on new storybook characters with Jack's mysterious and elusive magic beans, a more-driven Humpty Dumpty, a Bonnie and Clyde version of Jack and Jill, and the pursuit of the goose that lays golden eggs. Puss, as the center of attention, pulls off the lead role with style and a feather in his hat. Some of the sequences are longer than necessary, especially the duel between Puss and Kitty after the failed magic bean thief from Jack and Jill, but the rest is well paced and exciting.

Puss in Boots was the logical choice as the successor of the Shrek family of films. I mean, who would go see a Ginderbread Man flick? Maybe Pinocchio would would be good as a Mission Impossible/Bourne Identity spin-off. All in all, Puss in Boots is good swashbuckling fun, albeit with a little heavy-hearted drama that comes with a bad kitty with baggage.

WORTH: Matinee or DVD