Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 21, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The TelegraphRobbie CollinFeb 17, 2023
There’s an entire pick ’n’ mix stand of eye candy here – more than enough to satisfy younger viewers. But alas, it’s all empty calories. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeFeb 17, 2023
This Shrek spin-off is a breezily entertaining DreamWorks animation that harnesses the familiar appeal of the self-aggrandising feline (Antonio Banderas), while also adopting a distinctive and original graphic visual style. Read full review
80
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyFeb 6, 2023
The Last Wish is visually gorgeous with an attention to detail you might not expect given it’s a sequel to a spin-off of a two-decade-old film. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredAlejandra Martinez Feb 4, 2023
The Last Wish is better than it has any right to be. From charming animation that combines digital and analog sensibilities and takes cues from fairytale books to performances that are pitch-perfect, it works! It would be a mistake to write it off as a late-in-the-game sequel or nostalgia cash-grab when it’s clear there’s true craftsmanship behind the work. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyFeb 3, 2023
There is a lot to like here, not least Ray Winstone’s Papa Bear. The forests are Skittle-coloured. The set pieces are wild and kinetic. But it is Banderas’s star power that saves the day. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawFeb 2, 2023
How bland and forgettable this film is, without in the smallest way harnessing the real performing power of Banderas, Colman, Pugh, Winstone et al. Read full review
80
Total FilmKate StablesJan 31, 2023
What really elevates this sophisticated sequel is Banderas’ rich voicework, which reveals that, under Puss’ suave bluster, there’s a moody moggie discovering fear for the first time. Read full review
80
EmpireBen TravisJan 27, 2023
A cat always lands on its feet — and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish does so with considerable style, rapier wit, and surprising substance. The sequel nobody saw coming just became must-see cinematic spectacle. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireDec 21, 2022
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is as spry and light on its feet as its titular feline. Read full review
75
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiDec 21, 2022
Yes, it’s your typical Macguffin, with everybody chasing down a trinket, but a fairly creative one with a lot of good jokes. The comic-book-style action sequences also set co-directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado’s movie apart from the litter. The No. 1 reason to watch, though, is Banderas’ top-notch voice performance. If only more A-listers treated their animated film roles as more than a pet project. Read full review
65
CNNBrian LowryDec 21, 2022
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish brings a playful quality to the animated feline as well as a deeper message. When it comes to long-delayed sequels it’s wise to be careful what you wish for, but overall the film manages to nimbly land on its feet. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleZaki HasanDec 20, 2022
It’s a perfect package of whimsy, sass and sweetness. Read full review
85
Paste MagazineB.L. PantherDec 20, 2022
What could have easily been a hairball of half-digested nostalgia is transformed into a mature and cat-ivating story that positively purrs. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonDec 20, 2022
The script by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow is very silly, to be sure, but everything works. The animation is well done, the music has a lovely Spanish flair, and the cast does an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Read full review
75
The Associated PressLindsey BahrDec 20, 2022
Directed by Joel Crawford, with Januel Mercardo as co-director, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has enough good jokes (script by Paul Fisher and story by Tommy Swerdlow and Tom Wheeler) to keep anyone amused for an afternoon at the movies. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshDec 20, 2022
With an excellent cast and style, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is one gorgeous and dynamic fractured fairy tale. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubLeigh MonsonDec 20, 2022
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is one of cinema’s biggest surprises of the year. Read full review
70
The New York TimesGlenn KennyDec 19, 2022
It contains amusing jokes and has an old-fashioned impulse to tug at heart strings. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreDec 19, 2022
It is Banderas who brings home the tocino and serves up the whole jamon when the situation demands it. Which in the case of the immodest, flamboyant and recklessly brave Puss-in-Boots, is pretty much every moment he opens his mouth in his delightful, and perhaps final romp as the character. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonDec 19, 2022
Given that big-studio children’s animation so often feels like it was created by algorithm, it’s refreshing to see a kid’s cartoon like The Last Wish that’s filled with too many ideas rather than too few. Read full review
63
Washington PostKristen Page-KirbyDec 19, 2022
The bar isn’t terribly high here, but Puss and company clear it comfortably, landing — but of course — on their feet. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleSarah JaneDec 19, 2022
Kids are going to love it because it’s fun and they’ll be able to spot the different nursery rhyme characters. This adult loved it because it’s funny as hell and the performances were great across the board. Read full review
90
IGNRafael MotamayorDec 9, 2022
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish mixes stunning animation with a poignant, surprisingly mature story to deliver the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed. Read full review
91
ColliderNate RichardDec 8, 2022
It is not only one of the best animated films of the year, but it's one of DreamWorks' best, and one that will strike a chord with moviegoers of all ages. It's equal parts exciting and hilarious as well as earnest, it never feels like it is talking down to anyone. Read full review
100
IndieWireEmma StefanskyNov 27, 2022
“The Last Wish” has no qualms about testing the expectations of its young audience while delivering a freewheeling tale about appreciating the nine lives we already have. Read full review
50
Screen DailyTim GriersonNov 27, 2022
Although this action-adventure moves briskly enough, audiences may ultimately crave a film whose storytelling is as inventive as the vibrant images that splash across the screen. But as Puss will learn, some wishes don’t come true Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeNov 27, 2022
By forcing Puss to contemplate his priorities, the sequel more than justifies its own existence, while paving the way for how his path meets the big green guy’s. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckNov 27, 2022
Darker in tone but still extremely funny, the film, like so many of its animated brethren, falters when resorting to the frenetic action sequences seemingly designed for tykes’ short attention spans. Read full review
59
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiNov 27, 2022
Puss in Boots isn’t on a rousing adventure; he’s performing the fairy-tale equivalent of grasping at miracle cures while he’s dying from a terminal illness. And although the film is funny in fits and starts, and exciting in fits and starts, the ultimate takeaway is weirdly sobering. Read full review
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