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Throughout “Puss in Boots,” you can sense the filmmakers straining to validate the origin story of their titular “Shrek” character, whose purrs and eyes seem like they first won hearts ages ago.
A flimsy concept is flimsily fleshed out by screenwriter Tom Wheeler and co-authors David Steinberg and Brian Lynch, who select various fairy-tale celebrities to factor into the rise of everyone’s favorite footwear-clad feline. A villainous Jack and Jill and a kooky Mother Goose/Godzilla mash-up prove amusing, but the inclusion of Humpty Dumpty, who’s picked for laughs but can’t deliver, is the most glaring example of a frivolity that leaves the movie feeling eggshell-thin.
But even though the story never quite warrants them, the visuals of “Puss in Boots” are about as good as any you’ve seen in a contemporary animated film. Minor elements like human fingers are rendered with remarkable detail, and director Chris Miller (“Shrek the Third”) offers up multiple action set pieces, all of them spectacular. The skyward, snakelike ascent of a beanstalk, which Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas), Humpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) and the furry femme fatale Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek) plant and climb in order to reap the riches of the Golden Goose, is a breathtaking sequence that makes up for more than a few missteps.
“Puss in Boots” wisely plays up its Zorro-like bandit’s alluring blend of danger and cuteness, scoring serious points with such scenes as a classic saloon stare-down in which Puss asserts his machismo while lapping up milk from a shot glass. If anything, what makes the movie special is its playful hat tip to cat lovers, from Puss chasing a dancing light to a backstory that tells of Kitty’s tragic, inexplicable claw removal, (“Cat people are crazy,” consoles Puss).
The thrust of the movie’s plot is the lifelong friendship between Puss and Humpty, who grow apart due to Humpty’s ridicule-fueled law-breaking. “You’re better than this,” Puss keeps telling his friend, and though it looks great and has distinct appeal, there’s no denying “Puss” could be much better, too.
Puss in Boots
PG
Two-and-a-half reels out of four
Now playing in area theaters
Recommended Rental
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
PG-13
Available Friday
You’ve made it this far, so surely you must complete the journey with Harry, Ron and Hermione, who’ve grown right along with the audience of this decade-spanning fantasy saga. Emotional attachment to the brand’s cultural magnitude renders nitpicking moot; however, there aren’t many nits to pick: Director David Yates steers the ship to an epic close, packed with scenes both exciting and poignant. SPR
Comment and see the trailers for this week’s movies at southphillyreview.com/arts-and-entertainment/movies.
Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas), left, and Kitty Softpaws (voice of Salma Hayek) are the stars of the new feline tale from DreamWorks Animation.
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