Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has received remarkably positive reviews, with an even higher Rotten Tomatoes score than its predecessor, and there are specific reasons behind its critical success. The long-awaited sequel to 2011’s Puss in Boots pits Antonio Banderas’s titular cat against his greatest enemy yet: mortality. Being a reckless adventurer with little regard for personal safety, Puss learns he squandered eight of his nine lives. This leads him to embark on a new adventure alongside companions Kitty (Salma Hayek) and Perro (Harvey Guillén). The Shrek franchise has enjoyed varying degrees of critical success, ranging from “Certified Fresh” projects (Shrek, Shrek 2) to “Rotten” ones (Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After).
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the Shrek series’ best-reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes yet, with 97% Critics and 98% Audience scores, which also put the sequel well above its 2011 predecessor. The movie's Rotten Tomatoes scores being nearly on the same level is a commendable achievement, given that scores typically vary, and at times are drastically different from each other. Installments in the Shrek franchise have not experienced steady critical acclaim. That combined with the long wait between Puss in Boots and The Last Wish makes the latter's success seem unexpected. However, the sequel's reviews explain its positive reception.
Puss In Boots 2's Rotten Tomatoes Score Explained
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish appears to be a revitalization of the Shrek franchise. Reviews have praised the sequel for its irreverent tone, Antonio Banderas's performance, and a heartwarming story with a strong emotional impact. Going by its reviews, The Last Wish offers a freshly appealing take on the Puss in Boots property, honoring the character's signature traits while putting him in an unexpected scenario. This new approach to the hero is complimented by a new Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse-like animation style, making the movie feel like a "prestige" project, as opposed to an ordinary sequel.
The critical reception shows that the sequel isn't relying on capitalizing on its predecessor's popularity. Though the first Puss in Boots was relatively well-received and proved to have a staying power strong enough to warrant a sequel so many years later, reception to The Last Wish (which sets up Shrek 5) appears to hinge entirely on the movie's own merits. The movie's creatives took a bold approach to the property that allowed the sequel to stand out in the prolific and ever-competitive world of animated features. It also made The Last Wish stand out among animated sequels, which can struggle critically, particularly when following up on well-received offerings.
Puss In Boots 2 Has A Sequel Advantage (& Disadvantage)
There are two sides to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish's critical success related to it being a sequel. On one hand, it may have benefited from viewers who disliked Puss in Boots deciding against watching its continuation. With that, it could be that more people who liked its predecessor—and thus, were likelier to enjoy the Shrek-rule-retconning Puss in Boots sequel — were the dominant audience for it, which in turn raised its Rotten Tomatoes score. This "advantage" could be negligible, given that Puss in Boots came out over a decade ago, which means any negative impression it had on people may no longer be a factor in discouraging viewings.
On the other hand, being a sequel also meant Puss in Boots: The Last Wish had a considerable hurdle to overcome, as it needed to find a balance between keeping what worked for the original Puss in Boots while adjusting for what wasn't well-received about it. There is a thin margin of error with such a balance, and not striking it could have resulted in the movie faltering with audiences. That makes the sequel's success all the more commendable. Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish's impressive style of animation and fun concept position it not only as a good sequel, but also as a good movie in general.