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Join UsTwo kids – Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas) and Humpty Dumpty (voice of Zack Galifianakis) – are best friends till Humpty Dumpty betrays Puss’ trust. When they meet many years later, they go on an adventure to find the magic beans and golden eggs they had dreamed of as children. Find out more about them in the review of Puss In Boots.
Business rating: 2 / 5 stars
Language/Genre: English/Animation
Voice cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis.
What’s Good: The entertaining script; the action sequences; the witty dialogues; the 3D effects.
What’s Bad: The story is a tad bit complicated for the kids in the audience to fully comprehend it; the film seems lengthier than it is.
Verdict: Puss In Boots is an entertaining fare, but it will do average business at the Indian box-office because of several reasons, prominent among them being that it is an animation film about a character not popular in India.
Loo break: Several.
Watch or Not?: Catch Puss In Boots as it makes for a fun-filled weekend watch but don’t expect the moon.
DreamWorks Animation’s Puss In Boots is an action-adventure about a cat, Puss in Boots, who, alongwith his old friend, Humpty Dumpty, which is an egg, goes on a search to find the fabled magic beans and golden eggs.
Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas) and Humpty Dumpty (voice of Zach Galifianakis) were raised in the same orphanage and were the best of friends, till, one day, Puss stopped indulging in small thefts that the duo did for fun. So when Humpty Dumpty took Puss for a ride and made him a part of a bank heist, Puss left him to be grabbed by the soldiers and himself took off into the wilderness with the ‘Wanted’ tag stuck to him forever.
Years later, the sword-wielding Puss finds out that Jack (voice of Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (voice of Amy Sedaris), two dreaded thieves, have the magic beans in their possession. These are the same beans that Humpty Dumpty and Puss dreamed of locating when they were children. In a failed attempt to steal the beans from Jack and Jill, Puss meets the fearless and extremely dexterous female cat, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), who is working with Humpty Dumpty to steal the beans. When Humpty Dumpty apologises to Puss, the latter reluctantly agrees to become a partner in crime so that the three of them can steal the beans, which, they believe, will finally lead them to the goose that lays golden eggs.
What happens next? Are they able to get to the golden goose? Is the renewed friendship of Humpty Dumpty and Puss in Boots for real? What about the ‘Wanted’ tag on Puss’s name? The rest of the film and the climax answer these questions. 
Puss In Boots Review: Script Analysis
The story of Puss In Boots, penned by Will Davies and Brian Lynch, is suited for kids but the screenplay (by David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler and Jon Zack) has too many twists and turns towards the end, that the kids in the audience might find a tad complicated. However, the characterisations of Puss, Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Softpaws, are interesting and give rise to a lot of humour. The action sequences are a delight to watch in 3D as are a few beautifully choreographed dances of Puss and Kitty. The dialogues, which are very witty and funny, are lovely, although some parts will be more understood by the adults in the audience only.
On the flip side, the lay Indian audience, which is already not too taken in with animation as a movie genre, might find a cat as the central protagonist a far stretch. In spite of the fact that the cat behaves like a human, woos women, and even fights just like a human warrior, a section of the audience is bound to be put off by the farcical nature of the drama, the merits of the film notwithstanding.
Puss In Boots Review: Voice Performances
The voice acting is superlative. Antonio Banderas brings to life the character of Puss in Boots. He is superb with his dialogue delivery. Zach Galifianakis is impressive as the voice of Humpty Dumpty. Salma Hayek is very good as well. Billy Bob Thornton (as voice of Jack), Amy Sedaris (voice of Jill) and others support well.
Puss In Boots Review: Direction & Animation
Chris Miller’s direction is very effective. However, he should have taken care to avoid the dips in the drama in the latter half, especially when Puss returns to his home town. Henry Jackman’s background score is fabulous. The animation is of a superlative quality. 3D effects have been used very well. Editing, by Eric Dapkewicz, is alright.
Puss In Boots Review: The Last Word
On the whole, Puss In Boots is an entertaining fare but which can expect to do just average business in the Indian metropolitan cities.
