So yesterday I was trying to think of a subject for today’s blog since I like to write it the day before. Nothing was coming to mind. I figured, ok, if I don’t think of anything, I’ll write about Puss in Boots. And then I didn’t think about it again until I went to bed. So here I am this morning, writing about the movie I saw yesterday afternoon.
About a month ago, my niece Kayla told me she missed going to the movies, so I told her the next time a family movie came out we’d go. That next family movie ended up being Puss in Boots. Now, I enjoyed the first Shrek movie. It was lots of fun. The second…not so much. I was so unimpressed that I didn’t even bother to see the third and fourth movies. The one thing I did like about Shrek 2 was the new character Puss in Boots. And here he is in his own movie that tells his origin.
I saw both movies in French (that’s what happens when you live in small-town Quebec), so I didn’t get to benefit from Antonio Banderas’ performance. I have no clue who voiced Puss in the dub, although I imagine it’s some well-known Quebec actor. He does a good job whoever he is. He manages to capture that suave latino persona. The rest of the cast, is competent but unremarkable. I think the guy who voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels voices Humpty Dumpty…that guy’s in everything!
The action scenes are well choreographed. There’s a lot of over the top stuff as you would expect from an animated movie. But for a movie set in the Shrek universe, what you’re really hoping for is humor and heart. The movie has both. Puss and Humpty’s history provides the heart. They were as close as brothers until a series of incidents set them on different paths. Now they’re estranged and Humpty is trying to make amends. Most of the humor I felt was contained in the first half of the film when Puss is facing off with a new-found rival, the Cat in the Black Mask. In the second half, the movie is more concerned with moving the plot forward, which is fine, but the funny bits are fewer and farther between.
But what about the 3D? I admit, I hate 3D. I don’t feel like it adds enough value to a movie to charge us extra for. It’s a gimmick I hope will go away soon, sorry James Cameron. I think more people are starting to agree with me, as more movies are starting to make less money from their 3D showings. But that’s a debate for another time, the question is how was the 3D in Puss in Boots. It was…alright. To be honest, I didn’t even notice the 3D after a while, which is part of the reason I’m against 3D in the first place. If it’s not jaw-dropping awesome or integral to the story, then why bother? Oh right, to charge me extra to get in. Anyway, let’s say you had a choice between seeing the movie in 2D or in 3D (I did not). I would say save the extra money and go see the movie in 2D. You’re not missing ANYTHING.
I liked the movie, but more importantly, Kayla liked the movie. It is a movie geared towards a younger audience after all. I’d say the mission was accomplished. It was fun enough that none of the kids in the theatre seemed bored, and well-told enough that even the parents (and uncles) in the room could enjoy it. If I had to rate the movie, I’d say 3 and a half stars out of five.