Sequel to ‘Puss in Boots’ premieres in theaters

By Matthew Goodbred IV Leader Columnist

So, who wanted a sequel to 2011’s “Puss in Boots”?

I wasn’t one of those people, but I’m glad one was made!

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” was an amazing movie, with a great new look, and a surprisingly mature theme to it.

Antonio Banderas reprises his role as the famous swashbuckling feline, and gives a great performance as we see a new side of the typically self-aggrandizing cat.

With Puss down to the last of his nine lives, he learns of a way to possibly restore them to continue his adventurous lifestyle through a magic wishing star. Except, he’s not the only one hunting for the star.

More famous fairy tale characters like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Jack Horner have their own reasons for getting to the star and compete with Puss for it.

All the while Puss is on this treacherous journey for the magic star, he faces the looming reality of his mortality, knowing one slip-up could be the end of the legend.

What I found most surprising about this movie was the depiction of Puss’ anxiety throughout the movie and the messaging around it, as it really affects who he is as a character and harms his relationships with his close friends. His anxiety grows so bad at one point it leads to a full-blown panic attack, which was disturbingly realistic to the real thing.

Luckily, through those friends he is able to overcome his fear of death and, by the end of the movie , returns to being everyone’s favorite fearless hero.

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a movie I could not recommend enough to anyone.