1/10/23 - Puss In Boots (2022) - 6+/7-/10

Surprisingly delightful oasis for parents in a sea of drudgery and inequities. A stunningly animated feature that looked unique in an ocean of homogeneity. Shockingly the stellar animation is married to an engaging romp with palpable pathos. You actually care and grow to understand & like these characters, be they in a ridiculous fantasy land. Sure there are plenty of cute moments for the kids, but it mostly treads the timeless currents, never sinking below with the anachronistic poke on the ribs or the shameless current memes & jokes about whatever is concurrently newsworthy but would sour in just a few months.

Almost entirely free from the Shrek that built Dreamworks cage, this was a frisky lark of action, cuteness, non-saccharine sweetness and vibrantly dynamic animation. Plus, there are plenty of pop-in voice bits from actors you know and love (though I tend to be more in favor of giving work to full-time voice actors who are truly adept at this work, instead of spicing up a promo poster with big name actors to pull people in, especially when the children these are aimed at wouldn’t give a toss). Pugh, Coleman, and Banderas pop, but I will say Mulaney just kind of felt miscast as our bad guy here. All that said, it was a welcome surprise.