This is hands down one of the *few* times in a Hollywood franchise's history where taking a *winning* concept and dumping 2.5 times more cash into its direct sequel's budget *actually* worked. And it wasn't *just* used on improved animation, nah, this was a true Toy Story vs Toy Story 2 upgrade on every level: better animation, better script, and better voice acting for all the newly-introduced characters; Shrek 2 was DreamWorks Animation's "bring it" to Pixar. And unfortunately for DreamWorks Animation, "oh, it's already been broughten!"\* was Pixar's response and this being a nearly billion-dollar box office smash *killed* this franchise for 18 years until The Last Wish made everyone who could remember Shrek and Shrek 2's releases remember what the studio could do when it pulled out all the stops! Sure, the pop culture references are *just* as much a product of their time as the first movie, but they're a bit more spaced apart in this better-written sequel, so it doesn't feel *as* in your face every five seconds like the first.

Puss In Boots being a literal single-brain-celled orange tabby cat was the funniest fucking reveal in this franchise that has yet to be topped. Especially as voiced by the second *El Mariachi* himself: Antonio Banderas! Sure, it was impossible to avoid that reveal in all the trailers and knowing Banderas was voicing him, but his revelation and immediate confession scene was so perfectly-written/-paced that even knowing ahead of time didn't ruin it. The giant kitty eyes still gets me; mostly because of how well that works with real-world domesticated cats who know what the fuck they're doing when manipulating those of us who helped them self-domesticate; little shits have been emotionally manipulating humanity for thousands of years now and are born with the innate ability to work us easier than even puppies! And I used to be *such* a dog person until I got to spend a *ton* of time around cats whether I liked it or not; I never hated cats, but after my childhood cat died and my parents opted for adopting a puppy to quell my inconsolable grief, I began preferring dogs *much* more than cats.

About the *only* thing that isn't original about this script -- and, trust me when I tell you, it ***ain't*** a problem for me -- is the exact three-act structure of the first Shrek: Shrek is a fish out of water, Fiona (and Shrek and Donkey) have a middle act reveal that changes their appearances, and Shrek & Co conspire for some *"light* treason" to prevent Fiona from being forced to marry/love someone she doesn't love. Like I wrote, not a problem for me since literally ***everything*** else is so creatively different that the classic three-act structure still works in a 120-ish minute movie; kinda hard to write any screenplay, regardless of final film type result, with that time limit and not use that storytelling structure. No one would ever find a movie original if every movie with the three-act structure was deeply criticized *every* time. The COPS parody to work in a medieval fantasy setting as KNIGHTS was particularly clever, especially the pepper grinders replacing pepper spray.

And for the first time in eight years, there was an originally clever take on *that* 1996 Mission: Impossible scene of robbing the CIA without raising the room's temperature or letting *anything* touch the pressure-sensitive flooring. Like the Trinity scene from The Matrix in the first Shrek, that scene from Mission: Impossible had been parodied to *death* before this movie was even released, and none of the parodies were particularly clever takes on it. Pinocchio, the classic "real boy" with no strings holding him down *using* strings he has no idea how to maneuver with is wildly clever. As is how his entanglement is exploited hilariously to salvage this poorly-thought-out rescue mission.

The "I Need a Hero" scene alone was worth the budget increase for *sheer* fucking spectacle; finally a fucking clever kaiju attack parody with an equally clever means of disabling the kaiju! And the replacement Mariachi finally lives up to his most infamous first acting role in *huge* cult hit with an actually decently relevant cover of of one of Ricky Martin's most *overplayed* hits of the previous century.


Final Verdict:

If you loved Shrek and Shrek 2, but everything after them until 2022 convinced you to skip Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, ***fucking watch Puss in Boots: The Last Wish!***

 

Can I write "fuck" or "clever" **more?** LMFAO. Also, Jesus Christ, Trakt, let's find *some* kind of standardized markdown that's mostly universal with other sites/apps that use it. And update your cheat sheet, 'cause half those fucking formatting rules do **not** work, at least on Desktop; don't pull a ~~New~~ Worst Reddit with all the varied markdown rules depending on which version of the site/app you're using!

 

\* "Nice comeback, Clarissa!"