'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' is purr-fect

When the sequel film "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" was announced, I found myself to be a bit surprised. It had been so long since the first "Puss in Boots" movie was released that I barely remembered the plot at all.

The "Shrek" franchise had captured my heart as a child (and as an adult), along with several other successful DreamWorks franchises, but the talking cat with fancy footwear never stood out to me as much as his counterparts.

Little did I know that the sequel to this unassuming spin-off franchise would be one of the best-animated movies I have ever seen.

The animation style was a beautiful blend of 2D and 3D animation, borrowing from the playbook of the critically acclaimed "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Each moment felt important, and the story moved at an almost perfect pace. Every casting choice added something to the overall direction, flow and impact of the movie.

"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" opens with a colorful and expansive shot of the setting and immediately throws the viewers into the thick of the action: an explosive song and dance scene with our main character, Puss in Boots.

"Fearless Hero" employs plenty of guitar solos and fun rhythms, along with an absolutely amazing opening fight scene. Puss in Boots steps down after defeating a giant and finds out that he has only one more life to live.

Later at a bar, Puss in Boots encounters a mysterious wolf assassin cloaked in a black hood. Desperate to live, Puss in Boots retires at Mama Luna's Cat Rescue, a home for stray cats.

There he adopts the new name "Pickles" and meets his soon-to-be sidekick, Perrito. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, now a crime syndicate, come searching for Puss in Boots only to find his metaphorical grave.

While Goldilocks and her crime family are there, Puss in Boots overhears something about a Wishing Star. It's hidden in the Dark Forest and has the power to grant any wish the person desires.

Hearing this, Puss in Boots thinks this is the chance to get his nine lives back and reclaim his status as "the legend." After stealing the map from Jack Horner, a villainous pastry chef, Puss in Boots sets out on a journey with Perrito and his ex-fiancé, Kitty Softpaws, to find the last wish.

This movie deserves all the praise it has received thus far. The script is masterfully written, with each character and scene feeling like it has a place in the film. "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" employs multiple characters, and I initially thought the overload of personalities may prove to be the movie’s downfall.

But, to my surprise, each character was given the perfect amount of screen time and development. For example, Kitty’s wish is that she wants someone in her life that she can trust. She explains that every time she’s trusted someone, she’s been betrayed in some way (including by Puss in Boots when he stood her up at the altar).

Throughout the movie, her learning to trust her teammates is shown through the various tasks that are thrown at them. She doesn’t have much explicit dialogue that marks her progress, but that makes her journey all the more enjoyable.

Another interesting feature of the movie was the actual Wishing Star map. Jack is a collector of magical artifacts. He procures the map by hiring two sister thieves in order to make a wish to give him all the magic in the world. As such, the map is laced with magic.

The map changed locations and directions depending on who held it. For Perrito, the path was more colorful, reflecting his optimism and boundless joy. For Puss in Boots, the map was more daunting and introspective.

This detail made the story more enjoyable to follow, as the viewers were able to see what the greatest fears and insecurities of the mentioned characters were.

The animation was the true star of the show for me. Far from the days of robotic-looking 3D animation, the movie's combination of 2D and 3D animation led to a beautifully dynamic art style and wildly creative fight scenes.

The very first scene with the giant was action-packed and exciting. It was reminiscent of fight choreography from "Attack on Titan," as one Reddit user pointed out.

"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" also dealt with various themes that I was surprised to see in a movie aimed at children, including topics like mortality, trust and even the meaning of life.

When Puss in Boots runs deeper into the forest after seeing the Wolf again, he appears to have a panic attack. Perrito runs after him and provides him with silent comfort. Many users praised the film for not belittling panic attacks and providing a good guideline on what to do when someone is having one.

There is little I have against "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." It's one of the best-animated films DreamWorks has ever created. It is one of the most compelling stories behind cult classics like "Kung Fu Panda" and "How to Train Your Dragon."

While this movie may be aimed at children, it's a fun time for everyone. It is absolutely worth the approximately 140-minute run time. You’ll be experiencing every emotion on the spectrum while watching this movie about an animated cat.