Puss in Boots Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack Review
Posted by Michael Weyer on 02.26.2012
DreamWorks gives the Shrek supporting character his own film for a breezy but fun adventure for all ages.
Puss in Boots
DreamWorks Home Entertainment
90 Minutes
One of the most fascinating “behind the scenes of Hollywood” books in recent years was The Men Who Would Be King, a fantastic history of the rise and fall of DreamWorks. Among the great takes and stories was how Jeffrey Katzenberg was obsessed with the idea of outdoing Disney in terms of animation, despite the fact he was nowhere near the expert in the field he presented himself as. This led to his backing of expensive bombs like Road to El Dorado and it’s said that he was never the same after the failure of 2003’s Sinbad. The brilliant irony is that the one animated movie Katzenberg didn’t micromanage would become the company’s biggest hit: Shrek.
Naturally seeing money, DreamWorks wasted no time turning Shrek into a franchise. The highlight of the second film was the introduction of Puss in Boots, a cat who acted like a swashbuckling gun for hire. The real success of the character was the inspired idea to cast Antonio Banderas to basically do a massive riff on his portrayal of Zorro. It helped the movie become a success and Puss remained for the next two sequels. With the Shrek franchise finally coming to a close, DreamWorks decided to give the character his own spin-off film. The results worked out well as it was a smash hit and an Oscar nominee as well. Now, it hits Blu-Ray in a fun pack to showcase the breezy fun DreamWorks does well.
The Film
The movie is set before the events of the Shrek films as Puss (Banderas) travels the countryside, seeking the magic beans owned by the brutish Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris). The beans are stolen by a thief who turns out to be Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) who’s working with Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), much to Puss’ disgust. In an extended flashback, we see that Puss and Humpty grew up together until Humpty’s criminal life led to Puss being disgraced and embarking on this new life as an outlaw. Claiming he wants to make amends, Humpty talks Puss into the heist of a lifetime: Using the beans to create a beanstalk a castle in the sky where they can steal a goose that lays golden eggs. The job is pulled off but there are unexpected wrinkles that force Puss to take on a more heroic role.
The movie is amazingly good if you went in with lowered expectations. Animated sequels can be hit and miss (Even Pixar couldn’t make Cars 2 magical) and there’s always a risk with elevating a smaller character to the lead. Puss was fun in the Shrek films but questionable whether that could be sustained over a full feature. What makes it work is the same thing that made the character stand out in the first place: Banderas. The actor is clearly having a blast voicing the character, allowed to totally let loose with charm and his accent, enjoying laying it thick with the humor and also egotistical speeches. I dare you not to utter “awwww” when Puss does his trademark gooey-eyed stare or laugh when he finishes off a sinister threat by lapping at a bowl of milk. It’s telling that this may be Banderas’ best role, the actor truly alive voicing a cat who acts like Errol Flynn on speed. It’s a good thing Banderas is so great as the rest of the movie doesn’t quite live up to the same energy.
The story is decent enough but doesn’t feel like the great showcase Puss was waiting for. The extended flashback takes a while (although to be fair, the filmmakers do poke fun at that with Kitty groaning “oh, here we go” when it begins) and while it’s meant to be character-building, it seems they could have hurried it up a bit. The sequence in the sky castle is terrific and a chase scene has thrills but the movie doesn’t quite reach the level of the first two Shrek films (although it is better than the last two). The story just seems light and the supposed major plot twist you do see coming a mile away. However, the movie doesn’t try to present itself as high art, just light fun and in that, it does succeed, delivering a frothy adventure to keep you entertained. The humor of Puss is great, how he can go from daring adventurer to a cat chasing a light funny and the idea of a giant talking egg being a mastermind does click well. Plus, the writers wisely avoid the pop culture references that already make the Shrek films seem dated. So if you just approach it as a fun adventure, the movie does succeed but it also feels lacking after so many great DreamWorks projects.
The actors do help. Even in animated form, Banderas and Hayek have a fantastic chemistry that bounces off the screen, merging perfectly with their banter and romance. Galifianakis is a bit lower in impact but still funny making Humpty likeable despite his past and the actor is well suited to the rolly-polly wisecracker. Thornton and Sedaris aren’t as high-profile but wisely hide their trademark voices to suit the criminal characters they play. Better yet is that, as always, DreamWorks’ CGI animation is ultra top-notch, letting you see every nuance of the glorious settings and coming alive for sequences like the castle in the sky and a “dance fight” between Puss and Kitty. The Spanish West-inspired setting also helps, the dusty air and vistas the perfect background for the film that give it a nice quality. Better yet, the film wisely avoids any cameos from Shrek or his friends, letting this stand on its own to give Puss the spotlight.
The humor may be hit and miss (bit too many cat jokes and sight gags) and the story not as thrilling as you’d want. But the sight of a cat dueling it out with human soldiers is always good and the animation is the best you can imagine. The real pull is Banderas, letting this man voice a character he might have been born to play, giving it his all and you can’t help but be sucked into it all. Thanks to him, the movie more than pays off its promise, letting Puss in Boots stand on his own two feet and prove that DreamWorks still knows how to give moviegoers a great animated treat anyone can sink their teeth into.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10.0
Video
The typical Blu-Ray/DVD pack with the Blu-Ray presented in 1080p/AVC. As you’d expect from DreamWorks, the picture is as rich as it can be, no flaws that can be seen. While this pack isn’t the 3-D version, it still benefits from the high-def production that makes its digital transfer easy and you’ll find yourself rewinding to catch the various background gags and gorgeous nuances over and over again, enjoying the beautiful landscapes to their fullest.
Rating: 10.0 out of 10.0
Audio
7.1 Dolby TrueHD with subtitles in English, French and Spanish. The audio is crystal-clear, letting you enjoy the vibrant sounds and great dialogue, along with the fantastic music (especially the “dance fight”) and you can enjoy the film wonderfully thanks to the presentation.
Rating: 10.0 out of 10.0
Bonus Features
DreamWorks does another great job with the extras, a good mix for both adult fans and kids.
The Three Diablos (13:05) is a short film taking place after the events of the movie as Puss is hired by a princess to track down a thief known as the Whisperer. To do this, he needs to aid three troublesome kittens. There’s fun stuff like when they and Puss embark on a “cute stare-off” and funny how the Whisperer lives up to his name, needing to use his hat as a megaphone to be heard. Short but funny in the spirit of the character.
The Animator’s Corner is a great picture-in-picture feature where the various animators and artists discuss the film and the creation of the scenes being shown. They laugh on how Puss can go into “cat mode” and in-depth on the creation of the architecture and the designs of characters. It’s fun seeing an early painting or sketch of something while the finished product plays on the bigger screen. While it can be dry, it’s still a great look at the process of making a modern-day animated film and its creation. There’s also an amusing Trivia Track that discusses the actors and other behind-the-scenes tidbits from facts on cats to how many times you hear “meow” in the movie. Together, they give you a great look at the film in a new light.
Purr-Fect Pairing: The Voices Behind the Legend (9:21) looks at the casting of the voices and how they got into character. A great comment is on whether “Antonio is playing Puss or Puss is playing Antonio?” It’s short but good with looks at Banderas fully acting things out in the voice booth, complete with sword and he and Hayek enjoying working together again.
Kitten to Cat (12:08) examines the character’s evolution. It includes new interviews with Andrew Adamson, director of the first two Shrek films on how the character formed, originally a gunslinger-type. However, animator Conrad Vernon came up with a Latino flavor at which point Banderas was the only casting choice. The actor himself jokes that nobody says they love Zorro anymore, they all know him as Puss. There’s an interesting bit on how they altered the character’s appearance for this new film, making him more a star and Laura Miller discusses choreographing the dance fight scene. It’s good showing how the character (and Banderas himself) have changed over the years to become a star attraction.
Glitter Box Dance-Off has Laura Miller showing the moves for the dance fight for kids to copy.
Klepto-Kitty (3:49) looks a real-life thieving cat that helped inspire Kitty Softpaws.
There’s a slew of games and challenges aimed at younger viewers but might be enjoyable to adults: A DreamWorks Fairytale, Puss’ Paw-Pouncing Challenge, Kitty Keyboard, Fairytale Pop-up Book and Kitty Strikes Again.
We also get a trio of deleted scenes introduced by producer Latifa Ouaou, giving alternate takes to things like the big climax fight. Plus, a “World of DreamWorks Animation” bit that mixes up trailers and videos for other DreamWorks films.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10.0
The 411: It may not reach the hieght of the first Shrek films but Puss in Boots is a more than worthy addition to the DreamWorks library of animated gems. Banderas is still a riot and has a good supporting cast and the animation is truly glorious to behold. The Blu-Ray gives you the best presentation imaginable and the extras are a good way to shed light on the animation process and the story behind the film. This may well be the best major studio animated offering of 2011 and a great way to let a character stand on his furry feet.
