PUSS IN BOOTS

By: debbie lynn elias

The race for Oscar gold for Best Animated Feature heats up this week with the release of PUSS IN BOOTS. That fierce and fiery swashbuckling feline, the leche lapping Latin lover, adventurer, scoundrel, master of the two-pawed tango, defender of justice…El Magnifico…El Purr-fecto…The Boots…leaves the world of “Shrek” and gets top billing in his own movie that is, in a word, Meowtastic!

Originally appearing in French fairy tales written in 1695 by Charles Perrault, PUSS IN BOOTS (or Le Chat Botte, as he was known) was a felonious feline, using his style, charm, and trickery to gain power, wealth and, of course, the hand of a princess in marriage for his penniless master. But it wasn’t until a 1729 English adaptation of Perrault’s stories that “The Boots” took the world by storm. With a picture book cover of an old woman telling stories to a group of children, “Mother Goose’s Tales”, with PUSS IN BOOTS as its cornerstone, has fueled the imaginations and fantasies of children – and filmmakers – for generations. An inspiration to everyone from Tchaikovsky to the Grimm Brothers to Walt Disney to animator turned director Chris Miller, PUSS IN BOOTS is without a doubt the most famous and one of the most beloved of the Mother Goose characters.

After a long absence from the silver screen, PUSS IN BOOTS was reintroduced to film audiences and new generations of children the world over with the “Shrek” franchise. And it didn’t take long to see who the break-out, larger-than-life star was – The Boots. Fueled by the drive of Chris Miller and his love of The Boots, PUSS IN BOOTS goes beyond the legend, beyond the lover, beyond the dancer. PUSS IN BOOTS goes back to the beginning with a starving little kitty left on a doorstep of an orphanage and the dreams that turned Puss into PUSS IN BOOTS.

Puss is an outlaw. With a $500 bounty on his furry little orange head for robbing the San Ricardo Bank, Puss has been on the run for some time. But, Puss isn’t the one who committed the crime. It was his childhood pal and BFF, Humpty Alexander Dumpty. Humpty was always sort of a bad egg, looking for the easy way out of the orphanage and San Ricardo, dreaming dreams of a world where he wouldn’t be ridiculed or mocked by Boy Blue or Jack Horner. And Puss always stood by his side trying to steer him to the straight and narrow path. But Humpty was a crafty one and after Puss had gained the love, respect – and boots – of the entire town of San Ricardo for saving the life of the police chief’s mother, Humpty was more than a bit jealous. Wanting to get out of the no-nothing town and make a name for himself, Humpty robbed the San Ricardo Bank, but tricked Puss into driving the getaway wagon. Sadly, in the frenzy of the robbery with police in hot pursuit, Puss and Humpty became separated before Puss could tell the police what happened. And leaving Humpty sitting on the wall after suffering a great fall from the wagon, Fate took a cruel turn. Humpty blamed the robbery on Puss. Unable to return home, Puss began wandering the land.

But one day, Fate smiles on Puss. Thanks to Humpty and their childhood dreams, he knew the fairy tale of magic beans; beans that would grow a beanstalk and take one up to the magic kingdom of the Giant and the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. It had always been their dream to find the beans, climb up into the sky and grab some gold. But that was just a childhood fable. Wasn’t it?

During Puss’ travels, rumor spread of “magic beans”. Could it be true? Could they really exist? Seems that the notorious Jack and Jill were in possession of them. This was it! This was how Puss could clear his name. He could get the beans, grow the beanstalk, get the gold and give it to the people of San Ricardo to make up for Humpty’s crime! But getting the beans was easier said than done.

Wandering into the Glitter Box cantina for some refreshment, Puss gets more than he bargains for when he falls into a pas de deux choreographed combat with the one and only Kitty Softpaws. Hiding her true identity beneath a leather-hood a la Catwoman, Kitty is a purr-fect match for Puss. Paw to paw, they do a dancing duel before entering into a pact with the devil himself – Humpty Dumpty. Humpty is still searching for those magic beans and he too has heard about Jack and Jill. Begging Puss for forgiveness for his rotten deed so many years before, Humpty, Puss and Kitty join forces and head out to claim their fortune. But can Puss ever trust Humpty again? Should he?

With a magical trip to the Giant’s castle in the sky leading to the “Mother” of all battles for goodness and gold, PUSS IN BOOTS is simply magnifico!

Antonio Banderas IS PUSS IN BOOTS. Originally breathing life into this little feline when he appeared in “Shrek”, Banderas’ vocal agility and ability is unparalleled. The dynamic that he brings to Puss is multi-dimensional, emotionally challenging and fulfilling, and above all, fantastico!! Admitting that he and Puss are “very much alike” (both swashbucklers, fancy-footed dancers and Latin lovers), you can hear the joy, the excitement, the passion, the humor, with every syllable. Self-depricating and dashing in character, Banderas captures the essence, nay, is the essence of Puss. It’s as if Banderas himself is living each adventure and is up on that screen. There is nothing cold or flat in his performance and with every deep dulcet tone one hears coming out of this orange cat, it just ramps up the inherent humor in the dichotomy of it all.

Zach Galifianakis is a devil of an egg and eggs-ceptional as Humpty Alexander Dumpty. Giving an almost squeaky creepy tone to Humpty’s voice, it sets the vocal tenor for the deceitful and duplicitous nature of the character itself. And Salma Hayek is a confident sultry joy as Kitty Softpaws. Her vocal infliction and intonation spans the emotional spectrum, and as with Banderas, in particular, she is so dynamic you can almost see Hayak herself locked in a spinning tango in the sky.

Great laughs come from Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris who, as Jack and Jill, are parents to Ten Little Piggies. The vocal humor, however, comes from their constant sparring about becoming parents to a real baby – a great contrast to the villainous anger they project at outsiders when it comes to protecting their magic beans.

Written by Tom Wheeler and directed by Chris Miller, PUSS IN BOOTS is a creative, witty, original, fun story. There is a moral message that is told without being preachy. The script is full of life, originality, humor and double entendres which are punctuated with slick humor thanks to Antonio Banderas delivery. One drawback, however, is that the funniest parts of the film all come within the first 60 minutes. By the final act, the story has become too serious and loses some of the fun that the dialogue earlier created.

Wheeler puts a great twist on not only classic childhood fairy-tales, but the characters themselves, all which comes to life thanks to the animation. The animation is beyond superb. Character design is simple, yet meticulous in look, movement and personality. Humpty Dumpty is almost cherubic looking, a perfect counter to his nature. And check out Humpty in a golden spandex egg suit…complete with too tight squeaking when he waddles. Kitty has those feline pheromones flowing from her long sleek lines and agile slinky moves. And Puss…..paws, eyes, eyelashes, whiskers, nails, sword, hat and boots – each is simply drawn, but through the movement of animation, make Puss purr-fect. Clouds seamlessly change shape and contour while retaining their fluffy floaty pillow-like sensibility. The color palette is also critical and well chosen with Puss’ orange, the day glow green magic beans and the golden eggs punctuating the screen.

With over 620 artists working on the film, this is without a doubt, some of the best 3D work we’ve seen. Utilizing story tools of swashbuckling, dancing, castles in the sky, roaring rivers and never-ending beanstalks, the 3D is used to add to the various perspectives giving the film an added dynamic. As opposed to films tossing in 3D “because it’s trendy”, here 3D only adds to and compliments the lush storytelling of PUSS IN BOOTS. Another great tool that Miller and Company use is by lensing many scenes from a “cat’s eye view”. Guillaume Aretos’ production is flawless and is complimented, along with the character design, by the work of VFX Supervisor Ken Bielenberg and his team. The technical artisans on this film have truly given us a collaborative and synergistically perfect film.

Particularly notable to me, given that I have five cats of my own (all of whom believe they are PUSS IN BOOTS), is the attention to detail in capturing the mannerisms and demeanor of cats right down to the lapping of liquid – a backward scoop into the mouth. Meticulous. And a nod to the issue of declawing cats is beautifully interwoven with Kitty Softpaws. Should make animal rights groups very happy.

The story moves at a steady, fast pace. A mere 10-15 minutes is spent on the childhood backstory of Puss and Humpty, yet it is complete, filled with information both visually and through dialogue, so that you understand the rest of the story.

And wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! PUSS IN BOOTS gives new meaning to “cat dancing”. Helios Dance Theater artistic director Laura Gorenstein Miller overseas choreography that has more fire and talent than anything you’ll ever see on “Dancing With the Stars”. Showcasing Kitty and Puss in a hot tango and an almost disco-flavored dance routine with all the cats at the Glitter Box, the choreography is jaw-dropping and inspired. And just check out the catlike dance steps when kitties go crazy with the disco ball. Hand in hand with the dancing is Henry Jackman’s score which soars with energy, variety and Spanish flair. Ole!

PUSS IN BOOTS – The Cat. The Myth. The Legend. The Boots. Purr-fectly Meowtastic!