The long-awaited sequel to Puss in Boots was finally released in December of 2022. While the first movie got mixed reviews at release, it eventually became a sort of cult classic among fans of the Shrek universe. After a few years, however, the movie and the franchise were largely forgotten by the general public. This was until the release of Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish. The sequel got astounding critical and audience reviews, including a 95% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows the titular character Puss in Boots as he tries to reach the last wish of the wishing star to get his 9 lives back.

The movie’s success is largely attributed to its quality. The biggest highlight of the movie is the villains. The movie has a set of 3 villains including The Big Bad Wolf, Big Jack Horner, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Each villain serves their own purpose in the story, and each has a profound impact on Puss’ character. Each of the villains has a distinct tone. The Big Bad Wolf is a menacing serious villain that is legitimately intimidating to kids and adults alike. Jack Horner is the comic relief but is still an irredeemable monster. Goldilocks is a bit more complicated because she and the bears have morals and aren’t necessarily “evil” villains, they just happen to be in Puss’ way. 

CONSIDER THIS A SPOILER WARNING FROM NOW ON!:  

The main villain of the movie, The Big Bad Wolf, starts as just an intimidating foil to Puss’ character. Later, it is revealed that he is actually the physical embodiment of death, in other words, the Grim Reaper. At the beginning of the movie, Puss is unappreciative of his life and “laughs in the face of death” until he actually meets Death and experiences true fear. The way fears and anxiety is represented is both realistic and impactful. Through this fear, Puss matures throughout the movie and learns to appreciate others over himself. His main love interest in the first movie, Kitty Soft-paws, also helps him appreciate his life by earning a family. At the beginning of the movie, Puss does not want a family nor does he deserve one, but when he realizes Kitty means more to him than any adventure ever could he understands what it means to feel to belong. 

The theme of family is a main one throughout the movie, most notably with Puss, Kitty,  and Perrito, but also with Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldilocks’ wish is for a true family, despite already having found one. This is how she foils Puss. She has a family but does not deserve one. The third foil for Puss is Perrito, who does not have a family but deserves one far more than anyone else. Puss eventually gains a family and deserves one by the end of the film, which perfectly ends his character arc.