Puss in Boots is a high-energy, nursery rhyme mash-up a la it’s thematic predecessor Shrek that pleases with clever cat humor (chasing beams of light, using big sad eyes to cast hypnotic spells on helpless humans), above average wordplay (Glitter Club for cats in neon with the ‘G’ flickering off, a number of egg references), and stunning visuals. What disappoints is the cheap sexual innuendo; talk of Puss being a “lover of beautiful women, and a great, great lover” is more than unnecessary for an audience of 6 year olds.
Jack and Jill appear in Puss in Boots as I’ve never seen them. While they’re not exactly Andrew Dice Clay’s infamous version of the went-up-a-hill duo, they’re certainly not even remotely cute either. The pair here are brutish vagabonds but Jack surprises by demonstrating a modern, sensitive side in spots; expressing his desire to start a family and be a stay at home dad. Didn’t see that coming! I loved the scene with him changing a diaper towards the finale.
But what I fancied most about Puss in Boots was the elongated flashback sequence which tells the backstory of the protagonist and his “brother” Humpty Alexander Dumpty, and sets up the dramatic tension between the two which is carried on throughout the 1 1/2 hour film. The scenes with a baby Puss not-yet-in-Boots were some of the most memorable and adorable. It’s here we see our star feline still developing his heroic and devilish tendencies, and learn that he, like most of us guys, will always be a Momma’s boy.
Despite bowing to the burgeoning adultification trend of family films and being just mature enough to earn its PG (not G) rating, Puss in Boots is an entertaining romp through familiar childhood legends worthy of your family’s time and money.
I didn’t bring my meek 7 and 4-year-old moviegoers fearing there’d be too many characters-in-peril sequences and that the intensity of the action would be a bit too much for them. This decision was the right one and was made in reaction to them cowering in fear during the big screen trailer for Puss in Boots we saw before Dolphin Tale last month.
Puss in Boots is in theaters now, in standard, IMAX, and 3D formats. Find showtimes in your area here.
