To everyone’s dismay, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” may have some stiff competition at this year’s Academy Awards — albeit, deservedly so. 

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” the latest project from DreamWorks Animation, is without a doubt one of the biggest surprises of 2022. Directed by Joel Crawford, “The Last Wish” is the sequel to 2011’s “Puss in Boots,” starring the sword-wielding cat from the “Shrek” franchise. Technically remarkable, with a shockingly gripping story, the film gets the job done with a ferociously creative presentation, a menacing villain and a whole lot of passion.

Through stellar computer animation and incredible action scenes, “The Last Wish” dazzles the viewer and sets a high bar for animation. The film’s use of an inconsistent frame rate allows for some of the most inventive sequences ever put to the screen. Vibrant colors, wacky movement and remarkable character designs bring this awe-inspiring adventure to life. The crew’s talent is essentially pouring out from every angle. It manages to take direct inspiration from “The Lego Movie” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” but still sets itself apart as distinct and memorable in its own right.

What is most striking about “The Last Wish” is not its artfully creative visual appeal, but its ambitious story. Puss has run through eight of his nine lives, leading him to search for the legendary Wishing Star, which has the ability to grant him all his lives back.

Puss is faced with the brevity of existence. He has long been a stuck-up, overconfident and arrogant adventurer with no regard or value for life. This, quite literally, prompts death — in the form of an intimidating, predatorial wolf (Wagner Moura), who is undoubtedly one of DreamWorks’ best antagonists to date — to track him down during his search for the Wishing Star. Even then, Puss has the audacity to claim, “Puss in Boots laughs in the face of death.”

In typical DreamWorks fashion, “The Last Wish” prides itself on negating already-existing tropes found in classic fairy tales. In addition to starring Puss, the film also brings back former rival and love interest Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) from the 2011 film, building upon a central character dynamic that was relatively half-baked in the original. Kitty wants to use the Wishing Star in order to find a partner she can trust with her life, a wish that leads to tension between her and Puss. A new addition to the team is Perrito (Harvey Guillén), a dog who has been terribly abused in the past yet is always fantastically optimistic.

Parody can also be found in the film’s hilarious yet moving rendition of the fable “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) is the leader of a crime syndicate made up of Mama Bear (Olivia Colman), Papa Bear (Ray Winstone) and Baby Bear (Samson Kayo). The family dynamic is quite possibly one of the most staggering elements of “The Last Wish,” managing to be funny while also strangely wholesome. Goldilocks is also searching for the Wishing Star throughout the film, fed up with her crime-filled life and looking to reconnect with her biological family. 

Also standing in Puss’ way is another one of the film’s central antagonists: Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney), whose character is based on a little-known English nursery rhyme about a boy who sticks his thumb in pie. Horner, who is also chasing the Wishing Star, is a comically evil and exaggeratedly ruthless villain who refuses to let his childish reputation define him.  His wish is to harness all the magic on the planet. In his quest to reach this goal, he and his henchmen, the Baker’s Dozen, constantly try to foil Puss, Kitty and Perrito’s plans — and go to hilarious lengths to do so.

At its core, “The Last Wish” is a film about fear — Puss’ fear of death, Kitty’s fear of being vulnerable and Goldilocks’ fear of losing her bear family. This theme is explored in great depth with so much love and care that it becomes contagious. Throughout Puss’ journey, he gradually finds value and purpose in his ninth and final life, turning his back on arrogance. This ultimately makes for a very touching central character arc.

“The Last Wish” is an absolute triumph, not only when compared to other animated spin-offs like Pixar’s “Lightyear,” but also when compared to most trite animated films released these days. It delivers both a visual spectacle and an unexpectedly moving narrative with a strong thematic core. Rarely is a high-budget, studio-produced children’s film so dedicated to its craft. 

Contact Yezen Saadah at [email protected].