Should you see "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?" How do you feel about Antonio Banderas?
The Spanish actor debuted in the second "Shrek" film and has supplied the voice of suave, confident Puss in several more, as well as in his own "Puss" features and shorts. Banderas stole scenes in every one because his characterization is so cartoonishly self-assured and because, when he wants sympathy, the way animators shift him from Latin lover to big-eyed kitty-cat is hilarious.
It's surprising, then, and surprisingly delightful that "The Last Wish" is willing to shake up the formula. Puss dies at the beginning, for instance, leaving him with just one of his nine lives. And having multiple lives seems to have been the source of much of his bravado. So he spends the rest of the movie in a sort of purgatory that's similar to the world he came from except he can't assume that everyone will bow down to him anymore and he's stuck with a dog sidekick who annoys the heck out of him (voiced by Harvey Guillén). It's fun to see Puss laid low and in need of help from others, so both story decisions are great.
