I loved Shrek 1 and especially Shrek 2. From there the franchise, well, it wasn't bad, but it didn't stay as great. Then came the first Puss in Boots movie, and, and I mean that in no way negative, I couldn't remember ANYTHING of it.
Like, until I looked it up again, I couldn't remember who the antagonists were, but that might just be my silly mind. That said, I'm sure I'd like it if I rewatched it now!
And then...came this one. A "Shrek spin-off" arriving years after the last great Shrek movie being one of the most impressive animated movies was certainly not something I expected.
And most importantly: I will not forget about the antagonists of this one anytime soon! All of them are awesome!
But, let's start with the basics:
The visuals are, as expected for the studio and year, very nice and impressive. And THEN you have the action scenes. A, at first, strange low-framerate kind of animation style, mix of 2D and 3D styles. In the very first battle this confused me. From then on, once you get used to it, it's an absolutely lovely piece of art and I really grew to love it.
And then, well, the characters:
Puss was always great since he was introduced in the Shrek movies. He still has his sass and arrogance and the voice acting is wonderful with that!
And then we see him riddled with fear, doubt and giving up everything that was important to him, such a lovely way to depict other sides of him.
Kitty is lovely. Here, as well: I can barely remember anything from the first movie. But in this one she's fun, likable, cute yet not to be underestimated. A perfect example to show how a character can be strong and sassy without being an ass.
And then, wow, the antagonists. Three antagonistic groups, and all of them are a different kind of antagonist, and all of them fit perfectly and get enough time for their personalities to be displayed.
Jack Horner, a very classical "I'm just fucking evil for the sake of it and I know it". No sad backstories, no asking for redemption, just "Fuck everyone but me", and his interaction with the cricket is absolutely lovely!
Goldilocks and the bears, a completely different side. Not even really evil, just her trying to find a place to call home, even if it means fighting against anyone in her way. She could very well be the main character in her own right.
And then, of course, the wolf. I can see why people love him. Fearsome, unbeatable, factual and usually uncaring. Until he has to deal with Puss far to long and you finally see what happens when an unstoppable force, that is supposed to be neutral, is fed up with "being neutral". And his trademark whistle that is followed by moments of terror, absolutely lovely depiction!
And then, of course, there's Perrito! The most optimistic, no single bad thought, light in the dark "lovable idiot" that actually turns out not to be an idiot at all. His personality seems simple, well, it is, to a degree. He's the perfect example of how a person can turn out when life always gives them shit...and they decide not to grow bitter because of it, but instead get EVEN MORE positive for the sake of others. He's lovely and just thinking about him brings tears to my eyes as I write this.
---
So, yeah. This movie is absolutely awesome. The most wonderful characters and SO much emotion, sadness, fear and laughing, all that in a beautiful piece of art.
I'm having a hard time imagining how they can follow up on this one, but even if they don't, well, this one will stay in my heart!