Oscar buzz is all around us. With the academy awards only a month away (March 12th) avid fans are flocking to see all the movies nominated. One category in particular is animated feature film which includes the films; Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, The Sea Beast, Turning Red, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Though Puss in Boots: The Last Wish isn’t particularly projected to win according to Indiewire and Variety here’s why I think it should.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows Puss in Boots on his last wish  bb  and searching for the wishing star to wish for more. After a terrifying encounter early on in the movie Puss races to find the last wish. Teaming up with returning character Kitty Softpaws and new character Perro, Puss must travel through the Dark Forest. Racing against Goldi and the Three Bears Crime Family, Jack Horner, as well as bounty hunter Wolf.

Shrek was a major part of my childhood. Almost every time my family traveled over the river and through the woods on the way to Grandma’s house we would put Shrek into the DVD player. This movie franchise started at the start of the century in 2001 but it is clear it still has a lasting impact on pop culture. With such a large established fanbase it was no surprise that Puss in Boots put up a fight in the box office against Avatar 2: The Way of Water. Puss in Boots also utilized some of the animation styles of Oscar winner Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse causing animation fans to stop and take a look. 

Puss in Boots:The Last Wish shifted away from the classic 3D style of animation used on previous works to a blend of 3D and 2D. Though this blend meant characters lost more details,  it also brought a more fairytale approach. Puss in Boots and his counterparts all had larger, more cartoony features which also allowed for more ridiculous looking characters like side villain Jack Horner. This animation style was most obvious during the fight scenes. You could see the bright colors used to make the characters seem like they were the only ones on screen while fighting. They also were able to switch between slowing down the fight and normal pacing in a more effortless way. 

Featuring a star studded voice cast like Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, who reprised their roles as Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws, to Florence Pugh and John Mulaney who voiced new characters Goldi and Jack Horner, the tone of the movie was enhanced. All of the characters had voices that fit perfectly. With the Big Bad Wolf, Wagner Moura was able to create a chilling villain with a simple whistle. Perro, who was voiced by Harvey Guillen, consistently had an upbeat tone to his voice no matter what was happening in the scene. Both of these characters add so much to each scene they were in no matter how little they said. Their voices helped enhance their characters and only made their designs fit better.   

Each new character had something small and unique that set them apart from any individual background character. Perro had a scrappier looking design that made him all the more endearing. Goldi and the Bears each had something that represented each other. WIth Goldis hair puff she resembles having bear ears. Her and Mama Bear also have similar ears, she also wears a necklace like Brother Bear. Dreamworks also decided to stick with having their characters look like the actors that are voicing them. It was amazing to see Florence Pugh and the similarities between her and Goldi. 

SPOILER WARNING IF YOU DON’T WANT ANY SPOILERS DO NOT PASS THIS POINT.

I felt this story was beautiful. I am currently reading Hamlet and he struggles with wanting to kill himself because he doesn’t know what happens after death. Throughout the movie Puss struggles with the same thing. Early on in the movie it is revealed that the Wolf is Death, but only if you’re paying close enough attention. He appears in the background  in the beginning when Puss loses his last life. It was a phenomenal movie filled with moments that made me cry and moments that made me laugh. The final scene with Puss in Boots saying they’re off to “see some old friends” and then the screen pans to Far Far Away filled me with joy. I am so excited for a fifth Shrek film which is what this movie basically teased. Though I’m curious to see if they stick with this new animation style or go back to the classic recognizable 3D animation.