By Katie Adamson

Warning: This movie may cause viewers to cry, even though it is a children’s movie about an animated cat…. And yes, I am about to spoil it for you.

Laughing hysterically, my friend Maia Zasler (‘23) and I clicked the button and bought tickets to the newest movie in the theater, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Fully expecting to be the oldest people there, we had no idea what we were walking into. I had never actually seen a Puss in Boots movie before, and only had heard of the character through the masterpiece of a movie, Shrek. 

Theatrical release poster. Image credit: Universal Pictures.

With tickets purchased, popcorn bought, and candy in hand, Zasler and I walked into the movie theater, unaware of the emotional, heart-wrenching experience we were about to have. We took our seats in only the best location in the theater: front and center, with our legs propped up by the metal bar which separates the upper seats from the ground-level ones.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish features everyone’s favorite orange, boot-wearing cat who finds out that he is on the last of his nine lives. In order to maximize his time on Earth, he embarks on an adventure in search of the mythical Last Wish and encounters new and old friends along the way. On this particular adventure, he is joined by Kitty Softpaws, the ex-fiance of Puss in Boots, voiced by Salma Hayek, and Perro, an innocent abandoned puppy, voiced by Harvey Guillen. Through thick and thin, the three work together to combat their fellow competitors, Goldilocks, voiced by Florence Pugh, the Three Bears, and Jack Horner, voiced by John Mulaney, in a race to see who can get to the Last Wish first. 

At the beginning of the movie, Puss in Boots was in denial that he could die at any moment and continued to live recklessly. Fighting giants and wooing crowds over, Puss in Boots courageously demonstrated his fearlessness and the clear legacy he had already established. He felt as if he were invincible simply because of his status and the novelty behind the heroic persona he had created for himself. 

In most children’s novels and movies, themes are typically about doing the right thing and treating everyone with respect. However, while Puss in Boots: The Last Wish did preach these necessary lessons, there was a far deeper element that neither Zasler nor I could have predicted: being chased by death.

Puss in Boots, the courageous feline childhood hero voiced by Antonio Banderas, is being chased by an eerie wolf who represents death. In other words, the invincible Puss in Boots was on his last of nine lives, and no matter what he did, death was always around the corner. At first, Puss in Boots was in denial that he had one life left but, as he grew closer to his friends and gained a deeper perspective and appreciation for his life, he was able to accept his fate.

Zasler and I were not the only ones who enjoyed the film, as critics raved in their reviews. Glenn Kenny from The New York Times says, “It contains amusing jokes and has an old-fashioned impulse to tug at heartstrings.” Odie Henderson from The Boston Globe comments, “The animation is well done, the music has a lovely Spanish flair, and the cast does an excellent job bringing the characters to life.” Stephen Romel from The Australian says, “This is an entertaining movie that asks a question all viewers might pause to think about: if you had just one wish, what would it be, and who would it be for, yourself or someone else?”

Smooth, beautiful, and emotional, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a worthwhile watch for all ages and audiences, regardless of its PG rating. Zasler describes the film as being “a perfect balance between comedy and gravity” and that she “experienced catharsis watching Puss in Boots find meaning in life’s everyday moments and pre-existing relationships.” The film in its entirety is superior to any animated movie I have ever seen, and, according to Zasler, “the animation quality was insane.” Action-packed and sprinkled with borderline adult humor, this animated film will far surpass your expectations and leave you wanting to make the most of your life, because you never know how much longer you have. Zasler and I, now enthusiastic fans of the movie, can promise you that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish “slayed,” and no matter how old you are, you will cry.