Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022) Dir: Joel Crawford

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I have to say, when reviews began to surface for this Joel Crawford directed fantasy adventure, I got very excited and very eager to watch it. The first of these spin-off films was rather poor to say the least, but this time around Dreamworks absolutely nailed it.

The story is well formed and perfectly suited to the animated genre. It also uses some unique artistic styles in its animation which make for a fresh, more enjoyable visual experience. There's an almost stop-motion feel at times, and this I mean as the highest of compliments. It compliments the film's style perfectly.

The overriding message of the film is executed wonderfully and I was left incredibly satisfied with the film's storytelling. Crawford managed to tie up each of his key character's storylines very effectively, whilst making sure they all fit with the message of the film.

Antonio Banderas leads a very talented cast, once more reprising what has become one of his most iconic roles. I really enjoyed his performance for the most part, he clearly loves playing the popular character and his joy is infectious for the audience.

Salma Hayek is another to return to the franchise, and she uses her very recognisable vocals to produce an energetic and cheeky performance which matches her character's personality so well.

Harvey Guillen joins the franchise in a weird and wonderful role that could easily have gone wrong, but instead, Guillen manages to endear audiences with his heartfelt delivery and innocent optimism.

The immensely talented Florence Pugh absolutely steals the show here, with her seemingly unending acting abilities on display, even in a purely vocal role. I think she gave a fantastic performance, particularly in conjunction with her direct co-stars in the supporting cast.

Wagner Moura is superb as the film's antagonist, his sinister delivery, matched with the film's fantastic presentation of his character, makes for one of the scariest villains I've seen in a children's film maybe ever. He was truly immense.

Finally, I'll mention some of the brilliant supporting cast, who I wish I could go into more detail about, because they all did so well; Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo and John Mulaney.

Overall, this was a wonderfully entry into the Shrek universe, with legitimately some of the best storytelling of any of the films in the franchise. It is certainly leagues apart from its 2011 counterpart, with many undeniable improvements across the board. This is certainly one to see, and, even though it is a 'children's' film, there is so much to love from an adult's point of view too. Truly, this is an animated adventure for all ages.