At the film’s start, Puss is an outlaw in his own small, Spanish hometown. Flashbacks take us to his childhood at an orphanage, where he was best friends with a brainy, ambitious Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Together, the two dreamed of stealing the magic beans, climbing the beanstalk and getting rich off some golden eggs. Now, that crime has become Humpty’s obsession; he tries to enlist Puss as the brawn of the operation, which would allow both to enjoy some redemption.
Humpty’s partner in this caper is the dangerous master thief Kitty Softpaws, voiced with slinky seduction by Banderas’ frequent co-star, Salma Hayek. It’s a clever collaboration that doesn’t feel like stunt casting, as is the case with many animated films; they’re so good together after so long, it just makes sense.
But since Puss is a lover as much as he’s a fighter, you know he’ll find a way to win her over — and there is definitely a Pepe LePew vibe to the way they flirt with each other. A dance-off between the two characters early on, when Kitty is still disguised and Puss is unaware she’s a woman, is both exquisitely choreographed and hilariously funny.
The Puss in Boots character eventually felt like the best part of the “Shrek’’ movies, but a little of him goes a long way. Giving him an entire movie of his own would seem like a stretch, and really, he has trouble sustaining his shtick for the film’s 90-minute running time. But for quick, lively, family friendly entertainment, “Puss in Boots’’ works just fine, even in 3-D, which is integrated thoughtfully into the narrative and doesn’t just feel like a gimmick. Through chases, swordfights, dance sequences and even a flight into the clouds, the 3-D consistently provides a feeling of propulsive motion. (The glasses are still clunky and uncomfortable, but that’s another conversation for another time.)
