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Any franchise, be it books, TV or movies, eventually turns to crap if it goes long enough. The Shrek series "jumped the shark" at Number Three (too bad they felt the need to make a fourth one). That, coupled with uninspiring previews, didn't make me want to see the Puss In Boots. Boy was I surprised when I actually got in to see the movie. This may not be the best movie of 2011 but it certainly the best animated feature of the year (and Kung Fu Panda 2 was pretty darn good).
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Puss In Boots is supposed to be set in Spain (according to the missus at least) but to me it looks a lot more like the American Southwest. The plot could be lifted from any classic Western movie--with a plenty of modern twists to keep it fresh. Antonio Banderas lends his voice to the title character yet again and gleefully mines every Latino stereotype and cultural cliche (and does it with such aplomb that you can't find it offensive). Thankfully, Puss is the only character that transitions from the other Shrek movies. A few "fairy tale" characters--Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifiakankis) and Jack and Jill (turned into a Hillbilly Outlaw married couple voiced by Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris) but the rest of the movie is populated by new characters. The most notable of these is Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayak) who is the perfect foil and romantic interest and foil for Puss.
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The movie finally gives us the origin story for Puss and tells the story of a heist involving the Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs. (Sadly, there aren't even any plot points to pick apart.) (Trust me--it plays way better than it reads.) The art is nothing short of gorgeous and the animation is perfectly done. (Robyn and I saw Puss In Boots in 2D but found ourselves wishing we'd shelled out the extra bucks for the 3D version.) I didn't recognize any of the music but it was beautifully played. This is the sort of movie that is fun for the entire family: you don't need to be a kid to see and enjoy it.
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FINAL GRADE: A+
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