If you told me that an animated movie about a swashbuckling cat would not only be one of the best movies of 2022, and be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Picture, I wouldn’t believe it. Even when going to see it in theaters, I didn’t expect much. After all, this was another sequel to a beloved but waning franchise. At face value, this looked like another cash grab. But after finishing this movie, I have to say, DreamWorks Studios put themselves back on the map with this one! Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is out now, starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillen, Wagner Moura, and more. The film covers the “legendary hero” and folktale character, Puss In Boots, as he is down to the last of his nine lives. While advised to retire from his heroics, Puss’s pride won’t let him. As it turns out, a legend of a fallen mystical star, granting anyone's wish has landed. It’s up to Puss In Boots to find this star and wish for more lives. However, he may have to contend with the mistakes of his past lives, first.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!! CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
So, I did NOT expect this movie to go this hard! Blending 3d and 2d animation for action scenes Spiderverse-style, to the humor the other characters display to the overall message of cherishing the life you have instead of wasting it. The Last Wish really didn’t have any weak points in the film. From the opening minutes, we’re treated to this big musical number, displaying why Puss In Boots is such a hero; stealing from evil kings, and slaying giants, all while doing it with style. The crowd loves him, as Puss has fallen in love with his own legend. Until it begins to backfire on him.
After his last death, Puss is told to retire, or his next death will stick. In denial, Puss refuses to heed his doctor’s advice…until a mysterious bounty hunter wolf arrives. With one of the best villain introductions ever, the bounty hunter plays with Puss, at first. Toying with Puss’s ego by wanting an autograph on a wanted poster. Puss laughs in his face, prepared for battle. Puss, however, learns the old adage that the more you mess around, the more you find out. The Wolf embarrassed Puss in a short fight, even drawing blood. Visibly terrified, the wolf introduces himself as Death. Wielding twin scythes, and showing blood-red eyes, Puss barely escapes and has no choice but to retire. Living with an actual cat lady, Puss meets Perrito and discovers that the legend of the wishing star is real. With renewed hope, Puss, Perrito, and Kitty Softpaws (Puss’s old flame whom he left at the alter) against the crime family of Goldilocks and The Three Bears to find the magic map and get to the star.
I cannot state enough how good this movie is. The action, the humor, the animation, it’s everything you could ask for in an animated flick. Also, from what I’ve heard, it’s a big improvement from the first Puss In Boots, movie. While the voice acting was great from the main characters, the real star of the film is certainly Wolf aka Death. From the moment he appears, whistling in the background, Wolf shows us he doesn’t mess around. From the way he stalks Puss throughout the film, to how he talks, Wolf steals every scene he’s in. While not a villain per se, (technically, he didn’t do anything wrong, except his job, He is the Grim Reaper, after all.) he’s definitely the best antagonist we’ve seen grace animated screens in years. In addition, he's really not acting out of malicious intent. Wolf is not after the wish or wants to make Puss suffer. He just does his job extremely well and knows that Puss's time is up. He does relish the hunt, though. Throughout the film, we only see him four times, but each time, Puss's hairs stand up in fear.
Another plus is the character development of Puss. From being a cocky glory hog who only cares about preserving his own legend, to learning not to take life for granted. Puss understands that his life is more than cheap thrills and lonely adventures. We see Puss confess his regret to Kitty for leaving her at the altar, address his fear of dying, and eventually overcome that fear while fighting Wolf. Even Goldilocks has her moment of truth, confronted with her wish for a “real” family over the genuine one she already has.
I really don’t have any truly bad things to say about this movie, other than I’m sorry for sleeping on it before! The runtime is short but sweet. It revitalizes the Shrek franchise, and it should have been promoted better, because it came out in late December of 2022, and I didn’t even know of this one until late January from TikTok! (Strange World also didn’t have an adequate promotion, but that’s for another post.) I give Puss In Boots: The Last Wish a 9 out of 10!
Thank you so much for supporting this blog, as we see another year! I hope you’re killing those New Year Resolutions! Be sure to share this post with friends, and till next time fellow blerds!
Man, it feels like the DC Extended Universe just can’t win. For every success they gain, they take three losses. Black Adam was met with mixed reviews, but we got back Henry Cavil as Superman. Warner Brothers finally gained a new creative direction, with director James Gunn. But with the news of both Cavil and Dwayne Johnson not coming back to be a part of the first stage of WB’s new project slate, and with new rumors of more actors leaving, fans are wondering if certain projects are safe. While Gunn has confirmed that Margot Robbie, John Cena, and Jason Momoa are safe in their respective roles, fans continue to speculate just what is DC doing. Since WB Studios are basically rebooting the franchise, here’s a list of what I think Warner Brothers should do, during the “DC Rebirth”.
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A Superman Movie.
While Cavil may be out, he did leave on good terms with Gunn and company. But one thing is needed…a damn Superman film. It’s been years since Man of Steel released in theaters, and while Gunn says he wants to tell a story with a younger Last Son of Krypton, one thing is clear. We drastically need another Superman movie. In addition, if the CW and Into The SpiderVerse have taught us anything, it’s that there can be more than one Superman. Just have an interesting villain (Luthor, Darkseid, Brainiac, Mongol, etc) and go from there. With current political events where they are, a Superman movie would be interesting to witness.
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Static Shock Project
From the Milestone comics, Dakota City’s electrifying hero, Static Shock has quite the cult following. From his introduction in the 90's to the breakout cartoon, to various appearances in Young Justice, it’s time for Virgil Hawkings to make a live-action appearance!!! Maybe, we could have fellow Milestone heroes, Icon and Rocket appear. Black Lighting can also be featured, and answer the age-old question that blerds have: why is it that so many black superheroes have lightning powers?!
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Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds was…less than successful. But, if Gunn can make some C-List heroes like the Guardians of The Galaxy a success, he can make a Green Lantern Corps movie a hit. With veteran ring-slingers like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner, with new blood like Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and Sojourner Mullein, I can’t see why this won’t work.
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A Bat-Family series
While the video game, Gotham Knights, didn’t exactly make a splash, and the CW made a show with the same name (but with completely different characters. Like, WHY?!), fans deserve a true project about the Dark Knight’s proteges. My picks would be Nightwing, Oracle, Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, Batwing, and Tim Drake as Robin.
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Finish the Knightmare Scenario.
Look, I get it. Not everyone loved Zack Snyder’s DC movies. While I personally loved them, his plans weren’t perfect. Dick Grayson dying, Batman and Lois having a love affair, and some other bad creative ideas played a part in how the tone of his DC movies However…there cannot be any denying that his version (some would say the true version) of the Justice League film did so well, that there could be a chance to have that expanded on. What I’m saying is, to keep the main continuity, but if they can make a Joker sequel separate from the main continuity, then they can make this movie separately. Plus, I really want to see the Justice League fight Darkseid.
· CONSISTENCY
No matter what path Warner Brothers and DC Comics take, we need to have some form of consistency in place. Tonally, their movies have been ranging from comedic (Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad), to focusing on standalones (The Batman, Joker), to the eventual reboot of the franchise (The Flash), have a thought-out plan and stick to it. Don’t try to do what Marvel is doing, because frankly, fans are getting fatigued. Instead, use the iconic characters and storylines that DC is known for, trust your actors and creators, and go from there.
That’s all I got, y’all. For my fellow DC fans, I know it’s hard, being a fan. Especially with all the recent news shaking up things. But all we can do is hope that they learn from their losses and not make the same mistakes. Till next time, fellow blerds!!!
Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi out on Disney Plus, created by Dave Filoni and gives character backstories on key individuals in the Star Wars universe. While the episodes, themselves are short (15 minutes each), the stories give us so much detail in character motivation that was missed in the live-action movies and other shows. The setting of the series takes place both before and during the prequel trilogy, so you might want to watch those projects (ESPECIALLY The Clone Wars! Can’t recommend it enough!) Before I continue, SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
The series mainly covers two characters: Ashoka Tano and Count Dooku. With Ashoka, we see her birth, her training as a student under Anakin, and how she dealt with the aftermath of the rise of the Empire. Ashoka has come a long way, from the brash Padawan of Anakin Skywalker to the experienced warrior we see later. Her arc seems to deal with overcoming her arrogance in her own abilities. As an infant, Ashoka has been gifted with The Force. An example of this is when she is an infant and Ashoka stops a wild animal from killing her with a Jedi Mind Trick. Another example is when she passes a basic training exercise, involving blocking blaster fire with her lightsaber. Anakin sees the flaw in this, saying that she has to do better. So, Anakin makes her train with actual clone troopers to improve her skills. While failing repeatedly, Ashoka learns from Anakin that her survival is his responsibility. To survive the Clone Wars, she must be better than any droid with a gun. We later see the fruits of her labor pay off when she does survive Order 66 due to Anakin’s training. We also see Ahsoka’s weariness of being a warrior, when on the run from the Empire. With all her friends either dead or in hiding, Ashoka attempts to leave it behind her and become a farmer. But, when a Sith Inquisitor arrives, she realizes that she can no longer stand by and let innocents be hurt.
Jedi Master Dooku’s arc is something that fans have been waiting for, for years. At first glance, in the Prequel Trilogy and in Clone Wars, it looks like Dooku is just some evil aristocratic guy who thinks he’s better than the Jedi Order. But with his stories in this series, Dooku shows viewers why he became fed up with the Jedi Order. While still in the Order, Dooku notices how the Jedi are becoming more complacent and only dealing with issues politicians deem necessary. When investigating a corrupt Senator, Dooku sees the corruption firsthand, by witnessing all the residents of that planet starve. The Senator’s own son criticizes his father’s actions while being kidnapped. After saving the son, Dooku stands his ground in protecting the townsfolk, even against the orders of the Senate. On another mission, investigating the death of a missing Jedi Knight, Dooku (teamed up with Mace Windu) insists on discovering why the Jedi was murdered. Windu, on the other hand, wants to stay on mission and report back to the Jedi Council. When they both discover how the missing Jedi was murdered, Dooku wants justice. After dispatching the corrupt soldiers, the Jedi discover that they were holding a Senator for ransom, in exchange for a better quality of life, and that the Jedi only answer to the Galactic Senate, not the people. Even after the soldiers are arrested, Dooku sees their point, agreeing with their motive, if not their methods. This also causes a strain with Mace and the Jedi Order, itself. Are they peacekeepers for the galaxy, or just for whom the Senate deems worthy? After hearing of his mentee, Qui-Gon Jinn’s death, it seems it was the last straw for Dooku. We see that Dooku meets with Darth Sidious (Senator Palpatine) and they discuss the future plans for the galaxy. Dooku is upset that he must prove his loyalty, after what he’s done. Sidious plays on his emotions, saying that it’s all in for the greater good. Unfortunately, a Jedi Master followed Dooku, leaving him no choice but to commit to his and Sidious’ plans. Killing Master Yaddle, Dooku fully embraces the Dark Side and serves Darth Sidious.
Ashoka’s story feels a bit shorter, but it’s worth it to see more signs of her growth. As a student, Ashoka aces a training exercise, much to her teacher, Anakin’s dismay. Anakin tells her that the exercise is not a real test for battle. Wanting to prove herself, Ashoka begins training with actual Clone Troopers, trying to deflect blaster fire. While failing several times, she questions the validity of the training. Anakin tells her that she is his student, and his responsibility to train her to survive. We’re later shown the results of Ashoka’s training pay off when we see her, and Commander Rex survive Order 66. A brief time jump occurs, and we see Ashoka at Padme Amidala’s funeral. Senator Bail Organa (Princess Leia’s adopted father) asks Ashoka to join the oncoming fight against the rising Empire. Ashoka, however, is tired of war. Going into hiding, Ashoka tries to blend in, becoming a farmer. While in hiding, a family becomes in danger, being held by a Sith Inquisitor. Killing the Inquisitor with ease, Ashoka realizes that her fight isn’t over.
For fans of The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, this should be right up your alley. If you’ve been disappointed with the live-action shows that Disney has given us, then this is the show for you. Even if you like any type of Star Wars, you should watch this. We finally get answers as to why Dooku left the Jedi Order, told in a beautiful fashion that only Dave Filoni can describe. And any story with Ashoka in it, is bound to be a treat. I would give this a 10 out of 10, but the episodes are way too short. So, 9 out of 10. Post your comments and thoughts below, and till next time fellow blerds!
