"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" moves as quickly as its titular feline.


The inherently alluring paradox of the "Shrek" universe's swashbuckling kitty remains firmly in place 11 years after his first solo feature. He's a daring adventurer, a ladies' man, feared and revered across the land—but he's also unbearably cute as he laps up milk from a shot glass with his pinky, sandpapery tongue. The purpose of this page is to provide information about the various types of vehicles that can be used to transport people.


"The Last Wish" adds to the insanely talented supporting cast of the Oscar-nominated 2011 original "Puss in Boots." Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and John Mulaney will appear alongside Banderas and his longtime friend and co-star Salma Hayek Pinault. They add a surprising amount of substance to what could have been a purely recreational endeavor.


Of course, the fast-paced humor and elaborate visuals are the film's main draws, directed by Joel Crawford and co-directed by Januel Mercado. The film's aesthetics may be overly influenced by anime, particularly during the action sequences, but the vibrant colors and rich textures are a delight. From the moss growing on a terrifying forest giant to the shiny silkiness of Puss' whiskers blowing in the wind, "The Last Wish" is full of eye-catching details. It also uses dramatic shadows and subtle dissolves to transition from the past to the present or from one scene to the next.


The plot begins with a debauched bacchanal (complete with kegs of leche) that is more convincing than the opening orgy in "Babylon." Puss in Boots is naturally the center of attention, singing his heart out and partying his heart out—but he must eventually flee when he realizes that bounty hunter The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura) is after him and he's down to his last of nine lives. (The brisk montage revealing the various ways he died is jam-packed with witty asides.) Parents and caregivers of small children should be aware that The Big Bad Wolf is essentially The Grim Reaper. He's unyielding and terrifying.


Puss seeks refuge at a cramped cat refuge run by Randolph's sweetly doting Mama Luna, pretending to be dead. It's hilarious to watch the arrogant, preening feline struggle to fit into a mundane world of dry food and shared litter boxes, and the angles from which we see his reluctant transformation put us inside his head. But it's here that Puss meets an unlikely ally: a scruffy, crazy-eyed Chihuahua who's pretending to be a cat because he doesn't have anywhere else to go. Perrito, as we come to know him, is played with scene-stealing sweetness by Harvey Guillen ("What We Do in the Shadows"). Guillen's performance stands out in an otherwise stacked voice cast. Perrito's unflappable innocence and excitement in the face of danger are contagious, but he also provides some of the film's most deeply emotional moments. Again, the darker aspects of "The Last Wish" may be upsetting to young viewers.


When Puss' former rival and flame Kitty Softpaws appears (again voiced with sarcastic, flirtatious charm by Hayek Pinault), the three embark on a quest to find the mythical Wishing Star, which will restore Puss' nine lives. Depending on who is holding the magical map, it suggests a wildly divergent and amusing variety of paths. But they aren't the only ones looking for the map and the Wishing Star's power. Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Pugh, Winstone, Colman, and Samson Kayo) are also on their tail, having evolved into a bickering, Cockney-voiced crime syndicate straight out of a Guy Ritchie film. (The prospect of Winstone and Colman playing Pugh's parents in any format is enticing, and we need more of it.) Mulaney also plays the gluttonous gang boss "Big" Jack Horner, a towering figure who collects rare, fairy-tale objects such as Cinderella's glass slipper and baby unicorn horns in the least developed supporting role.


"The Last Wish" sags a little in the middle after a rousing start, as it becomes clear that we're in for a fairly standard quest from this script by Paul Fisher ("The Croods: A New Age") and Tommy Swerdlow (2018's "The Grinch"). Of course, everyone is after everyone else, and they're all after the same thing, despite some amusing and terrifying roadblocks. But the film also manages to convey messages of selflessness and teamwork without being preachy or cloying. And with stellar voice performances and stunning visuals, you won't need a laser pointer or a catnip-stuffed mouse toy to keep you entertained.