Puss in Boots - (October 28, 2011): PG
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #1 with $34,077,439
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $79,601,189
Gross Revenue: $118,601,189
Production Budget: $130 million
Director: Chris Miller
When it was first announced that Shrek’s feline ally would be branching out to his own feature-length adventure, I’m sure that many fans saw the choice as a natural extension, as the swashbuckling Puss in Boots was easily the strongest contender from DreamWorks Animation’s powerhouse franchise to get a spin-off. Prior to the film’s release, I was unaware that Puss in Boots is actually loosely based on a French fairy tale, but in spite of that lack of knowledge that I’m sure is shared with a majority of moviegoers, widespread familiarity with the character virtually guaranteed a strong audience. Thanks to the marketing tactics and strong emphasis on licensing and partnership shared by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount, buzz for the film was spreading like wildfire, and the titular character was seen everywhere from bus stops and billboards to Friskies cat food ads and McDonald’s Happy Meals. Another surefire success metric involved the interest generated in the Hispanic community, where moviegoer frequency is as strong as ever and Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek are two of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. With all of these strong factors in place, studio expectations for the success of Puss in Boots were enormous, and already being a fan of the character meant that I was looking forward to significant laughs and an enjoyable film.
Taking place before Puss (Antonio Banderas) ever got to travel the kingdom of Far Far Away with Shrek and Donkey, Puss in Boots starts with the titular hero dodging authorities and learning that two outlaws, Jack (Billy Bob Thorton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris), possess magic beans that could lead to a castle holding fabled golden goose eggs. As Puss attempts to steal the beans, he is interrupted by another cat, and after dueling, he unmasks the assailant and discovers her to be Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), one of the best thieves in the world. Impressed by the skill of his new rival, Puss’ levity is short-lived as he is reunited with his childhood friend, Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), with whom he shares a complicated and bitter history. The film then switches to an extended flashback, in which Puss and Humpty’s childhood interactions and beginning obsession with the golden eggs is detailed. Now working together, the trio of Puss, Humpty, and Kitty successfully steal the beans from Jack and Jill and make their way to the enchanted castle, but before they can full claim the treasure, some long-buried elements of their shared history come to light.
Just when I think that animated technology cannot get any more impressive, Puss in Boots comes along and showcases a beautiful world, and the sharp visuals are easily the most impressive part of the film. The crisp look of this animated adventure doesn’t even require 3D enhancement, a suiting accomplishment given one of the film’s strongest taglines: “Looking good never looked so good.” As a character, Puss in Boots is as enjoyable as ever, brought to life by Antonio Banderas and veritably overflowing with a clever confidence and charisma that is expertly complimented by Salma Hayek’s Kitty Softpaws. The interaction and coy romance between these two was far more enjoyable than expected and a significant jumping point for a majority of the film’s humor and overall style…the first meeting between these two thieves is as energetic as it is hysterical. Unfortunately, there is not much to Puss in Boots beyond these two characters and the strong visuals showcased, as the childish and predictable story combines with thoroughly unlikable characters to squander the rest of the film’s potential.
When the Shrek films were first introduced, the main appeal of their unique stories involved the clever homage that was paid to classic fairy tales, but in the case of Puss in Boots, the film borrows too heavily from this idea and relies so heavily on fairy tale lore that the narrative comes across as childish and ridiculous. I understand that animated films are first and foremost for children, but recent entries have successfully found a way to appeal to a much larger demographic, and when it comes to Puss in Boots, there is far too much pandering to younger audiences…the giant goose that tries to protect the golden eggs is so groan-inducing that you’ll find yourself rolling your eyes almost instantaneously. I mentioned earlier how much I enjoyed the characters of Puss and Kitty, but some part of that appeal may have been due to the weak nature of the “villains,” Jack and Jill, who are more annoying than threatening, or Humpty Dumpty himself, who is so neurotic, one-dimensional, and unlikable that I almost wish that Zach Galifianakis would never lend his voice to an animated character again. Don’t get me wrong, the film has its fun moments, but these shortcomings pop up so often that any momentum is stopped dead. Plain and simple, with all the marketing tactics pushing Puss in Boots as the next big animated franchise and the legacy of humor and soul left by its predecessors, this entry should have been far funnier, heartfelt, or memorable.
From a box office perspective, Puss in Boots took top spot in its opening weekend but performed below analyst expectations, pulling in a respectable but decidedly mediocre $34 million. Now, before anyone can try and classify this animated feline as signaling the decline of DreamWorks Animation, you should consider two very important facts. First, this entire October box office has been slower than expected, and second, Puss in Boots only had a 3% week-to-week drop-off in ticket sales…anything under a 50% drop is consider successful, so 3% is utterly phenomenal; so, in comparison to a number of recent theater entries, this film has legs to continue bringing in revenue. While I would like to say that there is no cause for concern in turning a substantial profit, Puss in Boots has not yet recovered its hefty production budget of $130 million and will face significant competition once Happy Feet Two and Arthur Christmas come down the pipe. In the end, the film is fun and rightfully showcases a familiar character, but in its entirety, the project is far from a must-see, and that is disappointing.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
