Whoever decided to bring the fairy tale characters Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws to life on the big screen, and to do it in this fashion, was brilliant.  I love these flamboyant kitty characters, the way they dance and banter with each other, the way their kittenish behavior is so seamlessly, and often hilariously, woven into their adventures, and how resonant these often ridiculous adventures turn out to be.  The first movie was a blast, and so is this one.  And I don’t even care for fairy tales.

Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado’s film finds Puss (voice of Antonio Banderas) on the last of his nine lives, pursued by Death.  Puss learns that a map to the Wishing Star has been found and determines to steal it, use the Last Wish and gain himself some extra lives.  But Kitty Softpaws (voice of Salma Hayek) has other plans for that special wish, as does Goldilocks (voice of Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (voices of Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo), as well as Big Jack Horner (voice of John Mulaney).  Puss does have one ally, the persistent pup Perrito (voice of Harvey Guillén), a presence which rankles our “favorite fearless hero” to no end, but proves invaluable in unexpected ways.

Despite not caring much at all about the plot (which also echoes how I felt about the first film), I thoroughly enjoyed watching Puss and Kitty and Perrito wind their way through the Dark Forest toward the location of the Wishing Star.  It’s an imaginative, highly stylized journey that should entertain viewers of all ages, especially those more familiar with and affectionate about fairy tales than I.  Every few minutes I found some moment, dialogue or action worthy of belly laughs, and the conclusion of the story is thrilling and heartwarming as well.  Credit the filmmakers on keeping a quick pace, stylizing the action in innovative ways and, most importantly, keeping the concept of compassion and humanity front and center.  This is a film everyone can enjoy and feel good about.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  15 January 2023.