‘Puss In Boots: Last Wish’ was one of the last movies to come out in 2022 and it was undoubtedly one of its best. What I think makes this movie so great is its characters and how each one brings their own unique flair to the movie, not only for the comedy but for the emotion as well. 

To start off, let us talk about the main character himself, Puss in Boots. The film opens with Puss partying with the townspeople having the time of his life and it is here we get a sense of the type of character he is, confident, charming, and devoid of fear. 

All these traits are what make him a good hero, however, it is also these traits that get him killed in action by a bell. As you may know, cats have nine lives so he ends up coming back unscathed, but this was his last life before he dies for good, and at first, our hero is unfazed by the news and plans to continue living dangerously. That all changed when he meets our first antagonist. Death.

Death, or the wolf, is our catalyst for the rest of the movie and his entrance is something to behold. Everything from how he appears on screen for the first time to how he talks to Puss creates an air of tension for the audience, since to them, his true nature is clear to them but not to Puss so when he tries to handle it like his previous problems, the audience is unsure how it will unfold. 

Unfortunately for Puss, Death beats him quite badly, from disarming him to even drawing blood from our hero. Not only does this encounter show just how much Death outclasses Puss, but it also instills the feeling Puss has been missing his life, fear, and it is that fear that causes him to run away, to Death’s satisfaction. 

Our next major character is the super-friendly dog, Perrito and this character is an example of how an often disliked cliche can be great if done well. Perrito’s constant optimism and overly friendly nature can come off as annoying when you first hear it, but in reality, he is one of the movie’s best characters because it is these traits that make him such a good foil to all these other characters. 

His positive outlook on life and of others creates a good contrast to the other characters in the move. Unlike other media, these traits remain the same no matter what happens throughout the movi. His traits are the anchor from which other characters develop.

The next character is our most simple one yet: Jack Horner. However, just because he is simple does not make him a bad character. Throughout the movie, Jack’s actions can only be described as pure evil, ranging from killing off his men, enslaving mythical creatures, deforestation, and so on. He is unashamedly evil with no hint of remorse or hesitation and it is that simplicity that makes him an entertaining character to watch because he adores what he does as much as the audience loves watching him do it. 

Our next character is Kitty Softpaws, who is the love interest of Puss in this story but like him, she goes through her arc. When we first meet her she is trying to steal the map to the wishing star to wish for somebody she is capable of trusting. In their first meeting, it is clear from the get-go that she and Puss have some unpleasant history with each other and it is due to that history that she has trust issues and avoids working with others to keep her feeling safe, hence the need for the wish. 

As the movie continues, through the help of Perrito and Puss, she begins to see that he does have people she can trust and in the end, she decides she no longer needs the wish. While there was a situation that caused her to regress a bit, it was quickly resolved and did not escalate into unneeded drama between the characters. 

Last but not least, we have Goldilocks and the Three Bears, yes from the fairytale. They serve as our third antagonist but they have the biggest character arc right behind our two main characters, painting them in a more anti-hero role. Their goal is to get the wish so Goldielocks can get a real family, at least in the beginning. As the movie progresses we see she is adamant about finding a family of her own, since through flashbacks, we know she has only had the bears since she was a young girl. 

During the final act of the movie, she finally realizes that she does not need the wish since she has had a family this entire time. So while they are antagonists to our heroes, they are not bad people, especially when compared to Jack Horner. 

After all this, the movie sounds like a congested mess, dealing with so many different characters and plot beats but when you watch the movie you find nothing of the sort. The movie manages to juggle all these characters masterfully resulting in an end product that is just as enjoyable as the sum of its parts.

So next time you see this movie available, I implore you to sit down and watch it, it will be an experience you won’t regret.