The film`s narrative is the typical fairytale-esque fluff, revolving around magical beans, proverbial golden-egg laying geese, and the mercenary Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas) in search of loot. Along the way he runs into sultry cat burglar (literally) Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), a talking egg (Zach Galifianakis) and the piratical pair of Jack and Jill, voiced by Billy Bob Thorton and Amy Sedaris.
While the film isn`t a genre-redefining movie, it`s undoubtedly an entertaining one, with the voice talent of Banderas and Hayek providing an edge to a story that would be run-of-the-mill if not for the stellar action sequences and rich visuals.
Unlike its original Ogre brethren, Shrek, the film doesn`t have quite as many pop culture references, its humour stemming primarily from its pint-sized protagonist`s constant vacillating from dashing debonair swashbuckler to his more primal, adorable feline instincts (as when he momentarily loses focus to scrabble at a laser pointer). There are times, however, when the jokes – particularly those involving eggs and cats – end up smelling pretty stale.
While not groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, Puss in Boots is a rakish romp, guaranteed to delight its younger audience and to entertain their caretakers.
Not purr-fect, but definitely not a lightweight pussy.
Rating: ***1/2 Raphael Lim