Everyone's wishing upon a star in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, but only one character's map makes their wish easiest to find. The movie finds Puss struggling to accept that after a lifetime (and nine lives) full of adventure, he only has one life left to live, and needs to consider retiring. The other fairytale creatures around him, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, are searching for the Wishing Star, and Puss determines that the magical artifact is the only thing that will restore his lives and his faith in himself.
Puss' confidence was always rooted in the fact that he can't be killed, and he took advantage of having nine lives by treating them carelessly. With only one left, he's forced to confront mortality, and his insecurities drive him to steal the map to the Wishing Star and claim it for himself. Puss in Boots 2 is the best Shrek film in years because it explores some complicated themes with dignity and humor, and demonstrates a real return to form for the franchise. The map changes depending on its holder, and Puss's inner fear and anxiety make his journey a perilous one - but it isn't like that for every character.
Perrito’s Map Is So Easy Because He’s Already Found Happiness
One of Puss's faithful companions is a stray dog named Perrito, who has the easiest map of all because he doesn't have a wish of his own. With purely selfless motivations, he just wants to make sure that his friends are safe and loved, and doesn't need the Wishing Star to make his life more content. Even though Perrito doesn't have many material possessions, he's already found happiness and contentment in his life, so the journey to the Wishing Star only leads inward, making his map a straight shot.
The concept of the Wishing Star makes Puss in Boots 2 similar to Pinocchio in many ways, along with characters like the Ethical Bug (a Jiminy Cricket clone), who tries to guide characters to do the right thing by their conscience. But Perrito fulfills a similar role, showing by example how easy it is to be happy when Puss is grateful for the positive things in his life. Perrito's unwavering optimism and loyalty alter his version of the map the same way Puss's discontent warps his into something unnecessarily difficult, offering a chance for him to change his perspective about his ultimate goal and change his wish.
Perrito Shows Puss How To Love Life Again
Puss pursues the Wishing Star because he thinks regaining his lives is the only thing that will make him happy, retconning a rule established in Shrek canon, and in the process ignoring the surrounding elements that already do, like Kitty Softpaws, and Perrito. The Wishing Star becomes a symbol of happiness itself, and reveals what the characters will do to get it, often engaging in questionable behavior in order to make sure that they alone hold the power to change their fate. Perrito teaches Puss that the journey, not the destination, is already filled with ways to be happy.
When Puss realizes that he can't outrun Death, he faces his fears instead and fights for his one remaining life. Impressed by his hunger to live, Death retreats, and Puss realizes just how special his life already is. He doesn't need to retire, and he doesn't need to stop swashbuckling, allowing Puss in Boots: The Last Wish to set up Shrek 5 at the end. In fact, Puss's newfound lease on life is full of even more adventure thanks to Perrito, who shows him how to love and value what he has with his simple and wholesome take on inner peace.