Puss in Boots

Pleasant computer animated tale spins off the Puss in Boots character as a prequel to his first appearance in Shrek 2. The plot concerns our feline hero and his scheme to steal a goose that lays golden eggs. He’s aided by a female Tuxedo cat named Kitty Softpaws and his estranged boyhood friend Humpty Alexander Dumpty. Zach Galifianakis voices the churlish egghead and he’s memorable – a welcome addition to this cartoon universe. But the story drifts into the past and the explanation of why these good friends have now become alienated is somewhat labored. The plot involves their childhood roots in an orphanage, a long held grudge and some magic beans. The narrative is rather convoluted, but if you don‘t analyze it too much, it’s entertaining enough.

The animation is extraordinary. The texture on Kitty’s masked costume resembles actual leather and Humpty Dumpty’s facial expressions are particularly vivid. There’s plenty of eye popping style to carry the film. There’s a fair amount of humor as well. At one point Humpty changes into a shiny suit to look like a golden egg and the image is hilarious. Likewise whenever the witty quips are flying it’s pretty amusing. The action sequences are forgettable though. I suppose they’re de rigueur for an adventure of this variety, but they could have been a smidgen more inventive. It’s sort of a kiddified version of Zorro. Regardless this is a surprisingly charming bit of mindless fun. It’s actually superior to the Shrek sequels which lacked heart. Nowhere near as derivative as its spin-off origins might lead you to believe. Puss in Boots is solid entertainment worth seeing.