Swashbuckling feline brings life back to animated franchise

Puss has always been one of the “Shrek” movies’ most appealing characters, so it’s no surprise that he has managed to bag the starring role in the franchise’s first feature-length spin-off, “Puss in Boots.”

While it’s billed as a prequel to the “Shrek” series, “Puss” is centered squarely on the titular character – and some interesting new ones – and you will find neither hide nor hair of a green ogre or a chatty donkey anywhere.

So, how does Puss fare in his first starrer? Surprisingly well! By focusing the spotlight on this swashbuckling, ginger-furred, Antonio Banderas-voiced Latin lover of a cat, the franchise has made its first good decision in years. “Puss in Boots” is a return to form for the folks at Dreamworks. Director Chris Miller, who brought us the uninspired “Shrek the Third,” redeems himself here.

Fast-paced, funny, and a showcase of vocal talent and topnotch animation, the film is a reminder of what made “Shrek” great to begin with. It has the pop-culture references and subverted nursery rhyme characters that we’ve come to expect, but it doesn’t lose track of its plot nor does it sacrifice story for gimmickry.

It’s also one of the rare animated films where the 3D technology actually enhances your viewing pleasure, and the visual spectacle it provides doesn’t feel like it was just tacked on as an afterthought.

Fairy tale

Puss’ tale is set against a much more Spanish/Mexican-flavored backdrop than the other “Shrek” films and takes its cues from Zorro and the “Desperado” movies as much as from the original Charles Perrault fairy tale. This cat’s tale may be hatted and shod like a Cavalier, but his meow is definitely Latin!

When the curtains rise, our green-eyed feline hero is an outlaw with a price on his head who’s in search of redemption. Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he wanders across the land and in and out of seedy cantinas in search of the magic beans that will help him clear his name.

His quest gets even trickier, however, when it turns out that the beans are in the hands of the infamous husband-and-wife bandits, Jack and Jill (voiced to hillbilly perfection by Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris)! Of course, that doesn’t stop Puss from trying to get to them, but the entrance of another larceny-minded feline, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and his erstwhile best friend, Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), does give Puss pause.

Banderas and Hayek have always had onscreen chemistry, and this proves true even when they’re in cat form. Their brilliantly choreographed dance-off/duel is one of the movie’s highlights. Galifianakis holds his own as the conflicted Humpty – you’ve got to admire the animators for managing to make an egg look, well, animated.

“Puss” could have used a bit more editing – even at 90 minutes, it feels long – but, all in all, the swashbuckling Puss has managed to bring life back to the film franchise!