March 14, 2023 Mark Pacis

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Blu-ray Review

As someone who wasn’t a fan of the first Puss in Boots movie, I was skeptical about how good Puss in Boots: The Last Wish would be. After all, it took eleven years for a sequel to come, and typically, that long wait meant that the film would end up being worse than the first. As I watched this film, I began to think, “am I crazy or is this actually good?”

Unlike the previous film in the Shrek franchise, The Last Wish isn’t afraid to deal with more adult-oriented themes like anxiety and one’s mortality. These moments of dread and drama alone elevates the film above any of the Shrek films after the first one. Not to mention, the Big Bad Wolf is a terrifying and menacing villain that’s sure to give the little one’s nightmares.

Also, the animation gets a massive upgrade. No, the animation doesn’t go hyper-realistic like DreamWorks’ main competitor. Instead, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows a similar route that Into the Spider-Verse employed by creating a painterly aesthetic akin to the old fairytale illustrations. At the same time, the filmmakers implemented a “step-animation” technique that accentuates much of the film’s various action sequences.

Unfortunately, at much good as The Last Wish has, the film has its downsides too. Several plot threads get messy and, at times, get shoehorned in. Not to mention, Jack Horner is the least exciting villain that the filmmakers push as the primary one. Wolf is set up as a secondary villain when he should’ve been the main one.

Nevertheless, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a heartfelt animated adventure that handles some very adult themes with empathy and humor. It’s also charming and adorable enough to appeal to kids. All in all, it’s fun for the whole family.

Movie Rating: 4/5 atoms

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Samson Kayo, Ray Winstone, Florence Pugh, and Olivia Colman

Video

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish hits Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-AVC with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. You can’t go wrong with animated films in any Blu-ray format. The brightness and black levels are on-point, with no bloom or crush happening in any scene. Puss in Boots is a very colorful film, and this Blu-ray release reproduces the colors very well, as each hue pops from the screen with vibrancy. At the same time, the finer details come through distinctly. So, elements like Puss’ hair or the texture of the costumes, you can see clearly on screen.

Video Rating: 5/5 atoms

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - John Mulaney

Audio

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish hits Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. This review will reflect Puss in Boots: The Last Wish‘s Dolby Atmos track. The Dolby Atmos mix for this is excellent in every facet. It’s not an aggressive mix by any means, but it is a highly active one. The sound objects are placed effectively within the soundstage, which creates a rich, immersive listening experience. Not to mention, the sound seamlessly travels through the soundstage from one end to the other. Regarding atmospherics, the Atmos format uses the effects to hit you from above and at a listening level. Viewers can hear the dialogue clearly, and when it comes to Antonio Banderas’ voice it comes from all channels.

Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Wagner Moura and Antonio Banderas

Special Features

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish‘s Blu-ray disc has the following special features:

The Trident
Deleted Scenes
- Potty Break
- Love and Death
- Wall O’Snakes
A Cast of Characters
- Puss in Boots
- Kitty Softpaws
- Perrito
- Goldilocks and the Bears
- Jack Horner
- Wolf
In the Beginning
Jack Horner’s Line-O-Rama
“Fearless Hero” Lyric Video
How to Draw the Purrfect Pawtrait
- Puss in Boots
- Kitty Softpaws
- Perrito
How to Make a Paper Perrito
Kitty Cam
Feature Commentary with Director Joel Crawford, Co-DIrector Januel P. Mercado, Producer Mark Swift, Editor James Ryan, and Head of Story Heidi Jo Gilbert

Features Assessment

This Blu-ray release includes a nice collection of bonus content with something for fans of all ages to enjoy. We get a new comical animated short, The Trident, which tells the story of one of Puss’s eight deaths. There are three deleted scenes, but none provide more depth to the theatrical version. The Cast of Characters and In the Beginning are well-crafted featurettes that include interviews with the cast and crew and behind-the-scenes footage. Line-O-Rama serves as a gag reel where John Mulaney provides many alternative dialogues to Jack Horner. The audio commentary features the filmmakers providing lots of Easter eggs and information about the making of the film.

Also included in this release are activities and videos strictly for kids. First, the “Fearless Hero” Lyric Video lets kids sing along to the film’s song. Activities-wise, we have How to Draw the Purrfect Pawtrait and How to Make a Paper Perrito, giving kids an opportunity for some (much-needed) arts and crafts. Finally, something for the whole family, Kitty Cam is a 14-minute video where we see cats roaming around. Yes, it’s adorable, as you might imagine.

Special Features Rating: 3.5/5 atoms

Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a surprisingly well-crafted and heartwarming film that’ll appease people of all ages. The video and audio presentations are top-notch, and there are many special features to whet your whistle.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 atoms