BYU students discuss new release of ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’

BYU students shared their insights about the latest release of the new movie “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” regarding its imaginative characters, storyline and animation styles.

BYU film student Ryan Jones said he brought his younger siblings to see the movie in the theater during Christmas break. However, he does not think it is a just kid movie.

Jones said he ranked this movie one of his top five movies of 2022 because he felt like “it had a villain that actually had high stakes.”

Jones said he felt the animation in the movie was different than other kinds and resembled an artist’s work. Some people said the hand-painted style makes it look unfinished, but Jones said it makes it look like there are actual brushstrokes, giving people a comic book viewing experience.

In the movie, the scenes switched between 2D and 3D. However, the animation style looks like paintings from a distance, according to BYU student Braiden Pitts.

He said the director brings an in-depth story with heart and plenty of thrilling content to watch out for, yet “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” does not have an advantage in marketing.

Jones also said he wishes he could change the advertising a little bit to give the movie more recognition as a mature movie with new style, not just a fairytale made for kids.

BYU animation student Brandon Beltran said one of the key success factors of the film is how they broke through their original animation style and allowed the artists to be in charge of the storytelling. 

Beltran said he actually tried to draw the opening scene himself after watching the movie.

“It’s been really refreshing to see that DreamWorks is pushing experimental, fun and appealing graphic styles,” Beltran said. 

Pitts saw the movie with his roommates and said the movie has no obvious shortcomings, and the storyline is coherent and smooth. In addition to the story, the movie utilizes different frame rates to give protagonists and villains unique movements, he said.

Pitts said he loves the character design for the villains, especially the wolf. “Every time you saw him, you were actually scared,” Pitts said.

With the different viewpoints in mind, all three BYU students commented on one scene depicting a panic attack. The students praised DreamWorks for bringing mental health issues to the forefront and normalizing them. They also said they enjoyed the performance of the voice cast.