Puss in Boots: The Last Wish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puss in Boots: The Last Wish |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Joel Crawford |
| Produced by | Mark Swift |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Heitor Pereira |
| Cinematography | Chris Stover |
| Editing by | James Ryan |
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 13, 2022 (Lincoln Center) December 21, 2022 (United States) |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $90–110 million |
| Money made | $482.7 million |
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is an exciting computer-animated adventure film from 2022. It was made by DreamWorks Animation and released by Universal Pictures. This movie is a sequel to the 2011 film Puss in Boots. It is also the sixth movie in the popular Shrek series.
The film was directed by Joel Crawford and co-directed by Januel Mercado. The story is based on the famous character Puss in Boots from Shrek 2 (2004). It also takes ideas from the classic fairy tale. The screenplay was written by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow. The main story ideas came from Tommy Swerdlow and Tom Wheeler.
Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault return to voice Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws. New voices include Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez.
In the movie, Puss in Boots discovers he has used up eight of his nine lives. He teams up with Kitty and a new friend, Perrito (voiced by Harvey Guillén). They search for the magical Last Wish from the Wishing Star. They hope to restore Puss's lost lives. But they are not the only ones looking for it! Goldilocks and her Three Bears Crime Family (voiced by Florence Pugh, Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo) also want the wish. So does "Big" Jack Horner (voiced by John Mulaney). Puss also tries to avoid a mysterious hooded wolf (voiced by Wagner Moura).
The idea for a Puss in Boots sequel started in 2012. Work on the movie began in 2014. After some delays, the project was restarted in 2018. The film's animation style is very unique. It looks like a storybook, similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This is different from the more realistic look of earlier Shrek movies.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish first showed in New York City on December 13, 2022. It was released in movie theaters in the United States on December 21, 2022. The movie got great reviews from critics. It also earned a lot of money, making $482 million worldwide. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 2022. The movie was even nominated for an Oscar!
Contents
The Story of Puss's Last Wish
Puss's Nine Lives and a New Friend
While having a party, the famous hero Puss in Boots accidentally wakes up a giant. He defeats the giant but gets crushed by a bell. When he wakes up, a doctor tells him he has used up eight of his nine lives. The doctor suggests Puss should stop being a hero.
That night, Puss meets a scary black-hooded wolf in a bar. The wolf easily beats Puss in a sword fight. Puss is very scared and runs away. He hides at the house of a cat lady named Mama Luna. There, he meets a cheerful Chihuahua named Perrito. Perrito is pretending to be a cat.
Soon, Goldilocks and her Three Bears Crime Family arrive at Mama Luna's house. They want to hire Puss to steal a map to the Wishing Star. The map is with a crime boss named "Big" Jack Horner. But Goldilocks and the bears do not recognize Puss in his new hiding place.
The Search for the Wishing Star Map
Puss decides to find the Wishing Star to get his nine lives back. Perrito joins him. They break into Horner's bakery to steal the map. But Puss's former fiancée, Kitty Softpaws, also shows up. Horner, Goldilocks, and the bears are there too.
Puss, Kitty, and Perrito manage to escape with the map. While running, Puss sees the scary wolf again. This makes him even more afraid.
Adventures in the Dark Forest
The map leads the trio to the Dark Forest. This is a special place that changes its look depending on who holds the map. They have another fight with Horner, his helpers, and Goldilocks and the bears. Puss sees the wolf again and runs away, which distracts Kitty. Goldilocks then gets the map.
Perrito helps Puss calm down from a panic attack. Puss admits he is on his last life. He also says he feels bad for leaving Kitty on their wedding day. Kitty overhears him. She then tells Puss that she also did not go to the wedding. She thought Puss loved himself more than anyone else.
Puss and Kitty steal the map back. Goldilocks and the bears are busy with a magical vision of their old cottage. As the forest changes, Puss gets trapped in a crystal cave. There, he sees his past, arrogant selves. The wolf appears again and reveals he is actually Death! Death is angry that Puss did not value his extra lives. He wants to take Puss's last life early.
Puss is terrified and runs from the cave towards the Star alone. He ignores Kitty and Perrito. Meanwhile, Goldilocks tells the bears she wants to find her real family. Even though they are sad, the bears agree to help her.
The Final Battle for the Wish
Puss reaches the Star and starts to make his wish. But Kitty confronts him. She tells him he is selfish. She also says her wish was to find someone she could trust. Goldilocks, the bears, and Horner all arrive, and a big fight starts for the map.
Goldilocks briefly gets the map, but she gives it up to save Baby Bear. Kitty traps Horner inside his magical bottomless bag. Death appears on the Star and challenges Puss. Puss has learned a lot from his friends. He decides not to wish for more lives. Instead, he accepts Death's challenge.
Puss disarms the wolf. He tells Death that he knows he cannot defeat him forever, but he will never stop fighting for his last life. Death sees that Puss is no longer arrogant. He spares Puss's life. They agree they will meet again someday.
Horner eats a magic snack inside the bag. This makes him huge, and he escapes. He tries to wish for all the world's magic. But Perrito distracts him. Puss, Kitty, and Goldilocks destroy the map. The Star collapses and swallows Horner.
Afterward, Goldilocks tells the bears they are her true family. They decide to take over Horner's bakery. Puss and Kitty get back together. The three friends, Puss, Kitty, and Perrito, steal a ship. They sail off to the Kingdom of Far Far Away.
Who Are the Voices?
Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish:
- Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots: A brave and famous cat hero. He has lost most of his nine lives.
- Salma Hayek Pinault as Kitty Softpaws: A clever cat and Puss's ex-fiancée. She wants to find someone she can truly trust.
- Harvey Guillén as Perrito: A kind and happy therapy dog. He first pretended to be a cat at Mama Luna's.
- Florence Pugh as Goldilocks: The leader of the Three Bears Crime Family. She wants to find her birth family.
- Olivia Colman as Mama Bear: The adoptive mother of Goldilocks.
- Ray Winstone as Papa Bear: The adoptive father of Goldilocks.
- Samson Kayo as Baby Bear: The adoptive brother of Goldilocks.
- John Mulaney as "Big" Jack Horner: A feared pastry chef and crime boss. He wants to control all magic.
- Wagner Moura as the Wolf / Death: A mysterious black-hooded wolf. He wants to punish Puss for wasting his lives.
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mama Luna: An older cat lady who takes Puss in.
- Anthony Mendez as the doctor who tells Puss to retire.
- Kevin McCann as the Ethical Bug: A funny bug who tries to be Jack Horner's conscience.
- Conrad Vernon as Gingy
- Cody Cameron as Pinocchio
Shrek and Donkey also appear briefly in a flashback.
How the Movie Was Made
Creating the Story
Director Joel Crawford wanted the movie to have a slightly darker feel. He focused on Puss's fear of losing his last life. The goal was to show how to enjoy life when you know it is precious. The filmmakers were inspired by the original Brothers Grimm fairy tales. These tales often had dark parts to make you appreciate the good. This is why Death was shown as a wolf, like in some old stories.
The movie also took ideas from "Spaghetti Western" films. These are old cowboy movies that mix different moods. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly was a big influence. The team wanted the comedy to be "edgy," like the first Shrek movie. They wanted to honor what fans loved but also try something new.
For the beginning of the film, they wanted to show Puss as a big celebrity. They were inspired by famous people like Mick Jagger. Puss starts as a "larger than life" hero. But the story shows him learning to be vulnerable. The idea for Puss to have a panic attack came because they wanted to show his true feelings. It was a natural way for him to drop his fearless act.
Animation and Art Style
The movie's look was inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This meant making the film look more like storybook drawings. The production designer, Nate Wragg, suggested this idea. The team used new technology to create a "painterly" style. This made the movie look like a fairy tale. It was a big change from the more realistic look of earlier Shrek movies.
Movie Music
Heitor Pereira wrote the music for the film. Three new songs were also created. Karol G sings "La Vida es Una." Antonio Banderas sings "Fearless Hero." Gaby Moreno sings "Por Que Te Vas." The movie's soundtrack was released on December 16, 2022. It also includes a cover of the Doors' song "This Is the End." Music from Shrek 2 was also used in the film.
Release and Reception
When the Movie Came Out
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish first showed in New York City on December 13, 2022. It was released in theaters on December 21, 2022. The movie had been planned for release earlier but was delayed.
The first thirty minutes of the film were shown at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2022. Critics noticed the movie had a darker tone than the first one. Director Joel Crawford agreed, saying Puss's "fear of death is the engine that drives the movie."
The film also showed a new animated logo for DreamWorks Animation. It featured characters from other DreamWorks movies like The Bad Guys and Shrek.
Watching at Home
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was available to buy digitally on January 6, 2023. This was just 16 days after it came out in theaters.
A short animated film called Puss in Boots: The Trident was released with the digital version. It also came out on Blu-ray and DVD later in February 2023. In this short, Eric Bauza voices Puss.
The movie also became available on streaming services. It streamed on Peacock first, then moved to Netflix, and then returned to Peacock.
See also
In Spanish: El Gato con Botas: el último deseo para niños
