BY RICK JACKSON
Puss In Boots is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year and to no one's surprise it is a great family flick for anyone who wants to return to his childhood or let a little one share in the experience of an old-fashioned fairy tale where you will be literally swept off your feet and be a kid all over again.
After enjoying Puss In Boots in the Shrek movies, which I always thought was the best part, you are swashbuckled and chuckled at the same time as you enjoy this prequel with a dash of derring do and a cast of familiar characters from two old stories you heard as a kid: Jack And The Beanstalk ad Puss In Boots. Incorporating characters from both, you can actually the sense of humour in Tom Wheeler's screenplay and director Chris Miller maintains a certain consistency of thought so the small set can sit still and let their imagination take over while all Moms and Dads and other adults without children can thrill to a children's film with an enduring tone and enough action to keep you entrenched in your seat. At the show I attended everyone liked what they saw and I almost felt like cheering much of the time because I was having so much fun.
Banderas brings Puss to life as he tells how he became this character. You see him befriend Humpty Dumpty (voice of Zach Galifianakis) and from there the story becomes more and more a tale anyone who likes these characters can't help be thrilled.
I must admit this is much better than the Shrek movies and I hope you are not expecting the same schtick. Puss In Boots succeeds in being original and funny and I can't say enough just how much I liked every minute.
One revelation is Kitty Softpaws and I won't divulge how she is introduced. Salma Hayek instils so much matchless fun, you are waiting to see when she will turn up next.
The overall western feel is different from the far superior Rango earlier this year, but Puss In Boots is worth its weight in the golden moments it creates and in making new memories for younger moviegoers to remember.
Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris add a zestful of energy in their roles as the animated Jack and Jill, while a golden goose substitutes for the ogre at the top of the beanstalk. It is better than the live action Jack and Jill starring Abbott and Costello (1952) which was fun or enjoyable. The animators behind Puss In Boots should be congratulated for re-creating the old and making it new all over again and I can't wait for the second adventure with Puss In Boots.
It is rated G.
October 30, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
