Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Film Review

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

“You only live once” the saying says and it’s true. We humans have one life to live, but tend to chase after worthless things. It’s part of human nature.

But for the legendary Puss in Boots, life is treating him well. He’s a cat with nine lives, enjoying adventure at every turn. However, after learning he has used 8 of 9 lives, Puss decides to leave his old life behind. That isn’t going to stop a few menacing villains to keep searching for him.

Positive Elements: Puss enjoys his fame/fortune a bit too much. With time, he realizes going solo is never the best option. Instead, Puss makes amends with Kitty during their journey. He confesses a certain truth to Perrito and apologizes to Kitty for being foolish.

For her part, Kitty is cautious, refusing to trust anyone. She recalls being betrayed and double crossed. On the journey however, Kitty lets her guard down and learns trusting others is a part of life. She saves Puss from falling in one case.

Perrito is a joyful dog despite his horrible backstory. Although Puss doesn’t want him in his life, Perrito wins both him and Kitty’s trust. He proves to be a great best friend and loyal leader. Perrito says to Goldi “You won the orphan lottery.”

Goldi and her bear family start out as menacing. But we later learn what Goldi’s wish is: to have a family. Though her and the bears have their squabbles, they truly love one another. Goldi saves Baby, sacrificing her wish in the process. Puss and Kitty do the same, realizing that wishing for a life you don’t have is foolish.

Spiritual Elements: There are several magical elements in the mix. For example, when each character has the map, their paths change. For Puss and Kitty, it’s scary. For Perrito, his path is shown as cheerful.

Big Jack Horner collects multiple magical items including a ball that manifests locations. Every time the characters touch the map, stars briefly appear in their eyes. The Dark Forest starts out as bleak, but soon transforms into a beautiful garden. Some scenes picture churches in the background. A scene presents a crystal afterlife in which Puss reunites with his past lives. The doctor tending to Puss is revealed to be a witch doctor.

Sensual Content: Puss and Kitty have romantic tension: they flirt, hold/touch hands, and lock eyes at several points throughout the story. (Spoiler Warning): They were about to be married, but Puss jilted Kitty at the altar (we see this in a flashback).

Violence: The first Puss in Boots film was mostly lighthearted with the violence. This sequel raises the tension up a notch and it does so in somewhat dark ways. Big Jack Horner is huge and scary, repeatedly threatening our heroes. He kills some of his own henchman with unicorn horns and refuses to turn the other cheek. One of his weapons is the flaming Phoenix which he then uses on a pocket of gentle posies. One character is reduced to a skeleton by a flower.

The Bear Family growl and snatch, knocking over backwards at a few junctures. Puss hits each with a stick, flies sideways, engages in sword fights, and is crushed by a heavy bell (he is revived shortly after). In flashbacks, we watch Puss die 8 times (some are in painful ways). A battle takes place with multiple objects defying gravity. Goldi uses her stick to attack characters a couple times.

The Bakers Dozen are trained assassins with deadly weapons. One is killed by the Wishing Star. A giant interrupts a party, swinging the bell with careless abandon and wrecks a village. Jack uses the Bakers Dozen as a bridge (we hear them yelp/cry in pain). Jack meets his demise when the wishing star map is destroyed.

(Spoiler Warning): The most perilous scenes in this film involve a wolf called Death. He’s a menacing creature with crescent shaped weapons and red eyes. Puss encounters him quite a bit in the story: their first fight ends with some blood trickling down Puss’ face. A few other battles leave Puss bashed and fearful. One scene pictures Puss having a panic attack before Perrito calms him down. Another shows Death grabbing Puss’ cape.

Language: Kitty comes close to saying “bulls—” but is interrupted by Perrito. Some uses of heck, “idiot,” and one use of “h—.” Perrito lets loose a string of bleeped swear words on a few occasions. Puss interjects the phrase “Holy frijoles” twice. There is some name calling as well.

Drugs/Alcohol: Puss is addicted to cream and is seen drinking it a couple times. One of those times is in a flashback where he staggers off a tower leading to the loss of his third life. In the film’s opening scene, Puss’ fans drink heavy beverages. Puss drinks an espresso during one fight scene.

Other Negative Elements: Puss grows so fearful that it leads to panic a few times. Some toilet humor giggles appear too, including a shot of Puss urinating in the toilet (his back to the camera). There is repeated stealing seen here too. A doctor drops leeches down his shirt. Puss escapes Death by sliding through a sewer.

Conclusion: The Last Wish is the sequel we didn’t know we needed. Arriving 11 years after the first film, this sequel surpasses it by a ton. The animation style is refreshing, a storybook type that fits so well. Voice actors/actresses provide humor to their respective characters.

Keep in mind though a few content problems. Peril fills the action scenes frequently and those might scare young/sensitive viewers. Add in some (bleeped) language/name calling too that might catch you off guard. There’s also the magical elements causing some concern too.

But those problems don’t diminish the sequel’s positives. We receive lessons about being content, living life well, and trusting others. Almost all of the characters realize the difference between wishing for something and enjoying what’s right in front of you. The Last Wish delves into these themes head on, yet doesn’t seem preachy at all.

But where The Last Wish delivers isn’t in the animation or voice acting (though those are key things), but in its representation of anxiety. While watching this film, I was surprised that a movie aimed at kids would dive deep into the subject matter. I wasn’t expecting The Last Wish to go hard, but in a way, I’m glad it did.

Like Puss, we often find ourselves making reckless decisions. We think we’re untouchable, that nothing can hurt us. Then when we are blindsided by an obstacle of some sort, our pride hits rock bottom. Fear settles in, clouding our judgment.

We have two choices: run from our problems or face them head on. We human beings tend to choose the former, sprinting away when tough situations arise. However, this path leads to more anxiety and stress. It’s through Jesus that we can find healing and peace.

The Last Wish reminds viewers of the two different paths shown in Matthew 7:13-14; “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” In other words, don’t choose the easy way out, but the hard way. It’s tempting to think the easy way will bring freedom. But that is a lie.

The Last Wish is a great sequel, one that will stay with you. It’s hard to find a movie talking about anxiety, but this one handles it so well. The film isn’t wholly clean, but it manages to teach valuable lessons. I highly recommend The Last Wish for everyone.