'Puss in Boots' playfully mixes fairy tales
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Puss in Boots always threatened to steal the show and now he's done it, starring in his own prequel to "Shrek" with no hint of the green ogre. Or his sidekick, Donkey, who competed for Shrek's attention with the continental cat who threw up hair balls at inopportune times.
"Puss in Boots" gives the orange tabby (voice of Antonio Banderas) a back story about his earliest days in an orphanage before he acquired the leather boots and jaunty hat with the red band and feather. But he knew how to make the big sad kitty eyes even then.
The orphanage is where he meets Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), who may or may not be a bad egg. Humpty dreams and schemes of finding the magic beans which, legend has it, will sprout a soaring beanstalk and lead to a golden goose.
- Starring: Voices of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis.
- Rating: PG for some adventure action and mild rude humor.
"Puss in Boots" is a veritable omelet of fractured fairy tales, with Jack and Jill oversize outlaws who specialize in "hijacking and murdering." But Jack pines for a baby and he's not talking about the squealing piglets the couple cart around.
When Puss, trying to right a wrong, goes after the couple in search of the magic beans, he meets a fetching feline named Kitty Softpaws -- "I'll steal you blind and you'll never even know I was there" -- with the voice of Salma Hayek.
Humpty Dumpty, who had a literal and figurative falling out with Puss, reappears and the trio make a play for the beans and the treasure. But it turns out the golden goose and brotherly bonds may not be all they're cracked up to be.
Chris Miller, who made his feature-film directing debut with "Shrek the Third," directs the playful "Puss in Boots." As with "Shrek Forever After," it's in 3-D but it makes much better use of the gimmick although it's not essential to enjoy the movie.
PG VIDEO: TRAILER"Puss" taps into another trend of the moment, dancing with the stars, with a dance-off early on and a closing scene at the Glitter Box Club. Who knew there was an actual "litter box dance"?
While missing the sweet spot and sentiment always found in a Pixar movie, "Puss" is expertly executed when it comes to the action and animation. The swashbuckling hero handles his sword like Zorro, noisily laps up his milk and frolics in misty clouds as if they were fluffy snow.
The screenplay, by Tom Wheeler (TV's "The Cape"), recycles a "Shrek 2" joke about catnip and forces a villain to vacillate in a way that could be difficult for very young moviegoers to grasp.
But this is Puss in Boots before he became domesticated and pudgy and as he says, "Cat people are crazy." Especially for his purring voice and furry face.
First Published October 28, 2011 12:00 am
