I have this major hang-up when watching movies and television. Thanks to this self-imposed rule, I’ve refused to watch some of the most iconic media: Doctor Who, James Bond, Star Trek (to an extent), and many charming series. The rule I adhere to so strictly? I must watch things in order. And I know plenty of folks who are similarly inclined … but earlier this year, I broke the rule. And I sure as hell don’t regret it, because this film was worth it.
While I’ve tripped up on occasion, it was rarely on purpose. For example, in 2012, my mother took my sisters and me to see Prometheus. It wasn’t until the end of the movie that I realized it was a part of the Alien franchise. As a prequel, it wasn’t the biggest deal, which helped me to justify my rule-breaking. In 2016, I decided to watch Frasier on Netflix. Midway through season two, my partner told me that Frasier was a spin-off of Cheers. Consequently, I stopped watching Fraiser because I felt an obligation to watch Cheers. And no, I never finished Frasier or began Cheers. I usually try to stick to the date of the release, but watching in story order is fine. Star Wars, for example, comes to mind, but it has to “make sense” narratively for a watch.
I’ve stuck pretty close to this rule for nearly a quarter of a century with minimal slip-ups. However, in February, I made an exception. And I don’t regret it. That exemption was Dreamwork’s Puss in Boots 3: The Last Wish.
Fear me if you dare.
Let’s not be mistaken here—I’m a Shrek gal. I’ve seen the first three movies a half dozen times apiece. Most of the lyrics to the Shrek Christmas album are permanently seared into my brain (yes, there was a Shrek Christmas album). I’ve never been to Shrekfest but have watched the feature-length fan film Shrek Retold. And I’m already in the early planning stages to watch Shrek Retold 2. However, I’d never seen a Puss in Boots movie.
The first Puss in Boots movie came out in the middle of busy high school life, and the character alone wasn’t an enticing prospect. Fast forward over a decade, and suddenly I see people talking about a third film. A sequel to a spin-off, and it looks good! The phrase “sequel to a spin-off” doesn’t even sound good, but here we are. Apparently, through a lot of production turmoil, a sequel and a TV show came out. Now, a third film was only in theaters for a few more days. A film that all the artists I follow continue to gush over.
With the clock ticking, I had two choices. Either I catch this when I catch it and watch the Puss in Boots movies in order, likely missing the theatrical experience. OR I take the plunge and watch the film, with very little context as to what’s happened to the swashbuckling feline during the past decade. It may seem silly to do this for a Puss in Boots film, but I’m compelled to follow these rules. And I know I’m not alone. What if there’s a character that has some backstory I need to know? What if this is part two of a bigger story arc? I had so many questions and I didn’t want to Google too much in fear of spoiling the previous movies. Keep in mind, I hadn’t decided if I was about to watch them yet. I seriously doubt anyone has spent this much brain space debating the PiB saga, but here we are.
It’s puss! (In boots.)
At the end of the day, I just went to go see the film, and while I did have some hang-ups it’s still one of the best feature-length animated movies I’ve ever seen. First, the animation was gorgeous. The team played with frame rate for stylistic effects (other than slo-mo), and the movie had a very painterly feel. It’s not a direct correlation to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or The Mitchells vs. the Machines, but if you liked how those looked, you will love this. Like the Shrek films, The Last Wish is highly referential and this movie keeps with that tradition. I’m not big into anime, but I even caught some Attack on Titan nods in the opening sequence.
Storywise, it was refreshing to see multiple antagonists in different villainous capacities. There’s the straight-up BadGuy™. However, there are also misunderstood antiheroes who follow their own arrows. There’s even the familiar antagonist that is a manifestation of Puss’s internal turmoil. This last type of antagonist has been trendy for the past few years. And, while that plot was executed brilliantly and terrifyingly, it was good to see some other manifestations of villainy.
If you haven’t already seen The Last Wish, I totally recommend it! Even if, like me, you haven’t seen Puss since a Shrek movie.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn’t exist.
(featured image: Dreamworks courtesy of Fancaps.net)
