PRODUCER – Latifa Ouaou, Joe M. Aguilar
DIRECTOR – CHRIS MILLER
WRITER – Charles Perrault (character), Will Davies (story), Brian Lynch, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler (screenplay)
Jon Zack
VOICE CAST – Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis
MUSIC – Henry Jackman
With 3D and animation flourishing as it is now, it was but a matter of time that someone picked the much-loved nursery rhymes characters and wove lovely stories out of them. Puss in Boots goes all the way to our nursery childhood and brings us a world which Jack-n-Jill and Humpty Dumpty inhabit alongside Jack of the beanstalk, the Golden Goose and of course, the notorious Puss in Boots.
In a dramatic, swashbuckling saga of friendship, loyalty, betrayal and morality Puss in Boots takes its primary character out of its legendary cunningness into customary heroic uprightness. Orphans, Puss and Humpty Dumpty were brought up together at the same foster home and harboured the dream of getting hold of Jack’s magic beans, going to the giant land and getting all the golden eggs the legendary golden goose is supposed to be laying there. Circumstances lead them to part ways with bitter betrayal on both sides. Years later they meet, this time with a little black kitten and after much ado the team finally sets out to attain their dream.
It is a tightly woven story that has as much fairy-taleness as much as a humane children’s tale. It has morals and coming-of-age characters as well as magic and high drama to keep the interest alive. It uses humour to excellent value investing largely in Humpty and Puss’ characters and relationship. Antonio Banderas’s Spaniard Puss, Salma Hayek’s kitty and Zach Galifianakis’ Humpty never let a dull moment pass.
Puss in Boots is probably the only film to be expansive enough to entice the adult audience and intelligent enough for its younger ones. Its imaginary world is well rooted in reality which makes it a warm, engaging and satisfying watch. Its visuals may not be fantastic imagery but the 3D is captivating and used intuitively, never forced nor a mere ornament. This is a film much in the league of Kungfu Panda and Toy Story – 3 and How to Train Your Dragon, films which told stories of good old morals in the good old tradition of conventional, imaginative narratives.
Growing up is all about choices and becoming who you do is a result of it. Good children’s stories always lay it down the tough journey of growing up as it is and Puss in Boots does that superbly with dollops of fun, magic and mad-cap ride right till the end.
Originally published here
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