I haven't been going nuts for Dreamworks Animation for several years now. However, last year showed a lot of promise with 'The Bad Guys'. It showed that the studio are looking into different animation styles that felt similar to 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'.
However, I was very cautious going into a Puss In Boots sequel which means the return of the Shrek franchise that we haven't seen since 2011.
It made me wonder why the studio is still going back to drink from this watering hole and why it has taken over a decade for a follow-up to the first Puss In Boots. The hopeful side of me had me thinking they have allowed this to be made as they have got a strong story to work with. But strong writing would be rare with this studio as I feel it is getting closer to the style and tone of the feature release's from Illumination i.e. nothing but bright colours and loud noises.
Boy was I and I'm sure many others were proved wrong. Firstly, I really liked the style of the animation. It was dynamic in both its colour palette and movement and it had a comic book edge to it. Also the pacing romps a long, but never to the levels of struggling to keep up. Those aspects combined gives us quite a satisfying visual experience.
In terms of the story, I couldn't believe that this film was dealing with death, grief and friendship in such a meaningful and profound way that both kids and adults can get a lot from.
Some of the usual strengths of the Shrek franchise are still there, such as referencing famous fairy tales and gives those particular characters an edge or new dimension to them for today's culture.
Quite possibly its biggest surprise was the character development and the quantity of it. There are numerous characters to get invested with. Some stole the stole show and some you can easily see get their own film in the future.
Also, one of the antagonists has a genuinely scary vibe to it that will haunt kids nightmares for sure. For me that is a good thing as that for me is a sign of an effective villain for a family audience.
The voice cast was not only good, but had a surprising amount of star power. As usual, Antonio Banderas can melt anyone's heart with his sexy voice. Choosing Banderas all the way back in Shrek 2 was a masterful stroke and you can tell he is still enjoying playing this character.
Also having regular collaborator Salma Hayek returning helps. With the solid chemistry, these two made for a memorable duo that felt easy to engage with.
Harvey Guillen gave us a scene-stealing side character with his combination of genuine innocence and a script with profound moments. John Mulaney and Wagner Moura contributed nicely to their antagonistic roles and the foursome of Florence Pugh, Olivia, Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo gave us a team that could easily be given their own film in the future.
I was really surprised by not only how much I liked it, but how much depth it has in its themes and characters.
There are some great characters that are well written, designed and voiced. You've got your hero, cool sidekicks that sometimes steal the show and your villains that feel genuinely threatening.
While it comes just short of getting an exceptional rating, it is still a really fun film that has a lot to say in an effective way that for me will make it extremely re-watchable.
I love films like this that could prove me completely wrong and can total jump to a level that no-one in their right mind was expecting.
This deserves to be a huge hit and that makes me wonder what will happen to the franchise now. Does this mean another Puss In Boots adventure, is this an excuse for Shrek to make a return or could this branch out films of side characters that shone in this feature?
Rating: 7/10
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