Puss in Boots

This Shrek spin off looks like a good first effort, even though it never rises to the heights of its bigger brother.

The Gist: Puss in Boots, a cat quite skilled with a blade and a big lothario, falls for Kitty Softpaws after she messes up his latest heist.  Through Kitty, Puss will reunite with Humpty Alexander Dumpty, an old friend and now sworn enemy.

The movie is certainly enjoyable and I was very impressed by the breadth of the action scenes and sets.  This was definitely a big undertaking in the attempt to expand the Shrek brand, and it likely paid off.

I’m not really interested in who does what voice in an animated movie, but the script is quite funny and well written, the storylines sprawling, the animation top-notch, and the direction strong.

The Bottom Line: I’d definitely recommend this for families and kids, but I have my reservations regarding how far the Puss franchise can go.  Considering that Shrek got worse with every iteration and started quite high in terms of artistic achievement, Puss has an uphill battle ahead of him.

Grade: 7