The Wonderful World of Puss in Boots balances its beautiful visuals and fluid animation with a properly paced adventure filled with comedy.
While Puss in Boots isn't nearly as elaborate or ambitious as something like Horus, Prince of the Sun, its simplicity as a kids' movie works in its favor.
Plot
The story follows two main characters. Pero, a swashbuckling renegade on the run from the kingdom of kitties after saving a few mice. While on the run from the claws of the law, he meets Pierre, disowned by his greedy brothers after their wealthy father's death.
So what's a cool cat like Pero do for his new best friend who's down in the dumps? He becomes the first-ever anime wingman, setting his eyes on the finest woman of the land.
Of course, because it's a '60s fairy tale, she's none other than the princess herself. Knowing he's set up for the greatest rejection of his life, Pierre knows there's no hope. Alas, his sharply dressed friend has the perfect plan in mind; whip up a convoluted lie about being royalty...and defeat a literal demon, Lucifer. Yea, the villain really is Lucifer, a demonic sorcerer.
I have to hand it to them. At least they had the guts to pick a one-dimensional villain and fully commit to it.
While its "save the princess" plot may not have aged all that well, everything else did. It's not just a story about saving a princess. It's also a story of friendship that highlights the importance of honesty and compassion.
For example, Pero has more friends than anyone else in the anime. He's got the mice he rescued and Pierre. Because he looked out for them when they needed it the most, they also help him.
Additionally, Princess Rose isn't just some trophy waiting atop a tower. She's actually being brave, participating in the action. I wouldn't say she plays an equal role to Pierre, but it's certainly a movie young boys and girls can enjoy because they're both forced to develop under the tension of having their lives at risk.
Furthermore, the action is exactly what you'd expect from a Ghibli-tier kids movie. After all, Miyazaki was a key animator for it, as well as most of the best animators of the era.
The backgrounds are highly detailed, showing different areas within the castle as they're chased through it, similar to what we'd later see in "Lupin the Third Castle of Cagliostro". I also enjoyed how the fights and chase scenes weren't just for the sake of action.
Sure, there are several suspenseful moments, but they did a great job blending loads of humor into these tense scenes to balance its emotions. For example, in the first scene, Pero duels with the three cats, their swords get bent, and have to hammer them flat, or they're throwing apples back and forth yet can't resist eating them.
Overall, the movie is absolutely adorable, filled with wholesome morals, comedy, and a few suspenseful moments. Plus, it's a great way to bridge the generation gap because it was surprisingly popular worldwide.
Chances are you've already seen it and forgot. It's been dubbed in many languages, but I recommend Japanese audio with subtitles.
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