Nursery rhymes gone rogue

(From the Dec. 1-15 issue of The Fortnightly)

By Oliver M. Pulumbarit

One of the more memorable characters from the uber-hit series of animated movies “Shrek,” the suave swordscat Puss in Boots now gets to save the day in his own self-titled adventure. “Puss in Boots” is both a spinoff and a prequel, revealing much about the beloved cat’s early days. Sans his wacky “Shrek” cohorts, the outlaw Puss (voiced again by Antonio Banderas) is joined by intriguing, all-new characters.

The bipedal adventurer finds himself searching for fabled magic beans, now in the possession of Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris). But they’re not the innocent and ill-fated kids from the nursery rhyme anymore; they’re both burly, mean adults. Puss encounters the masked thief Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) during the mission, and is surprised to discover that his formidable new opponent is working with a figure from his past.

Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) is “back together again” and offers his estranged friend an alliance against the keepers of the legendary beans. Their quest ultimately involves the retrieval of a fowl that literally lays golden eggs. But Puss only knows part of the plan, and finds himself in deep trouble not long after that particular job.

“Puss in Boots” has more appealing character designs than most of the “Shrek” films, which had simple and less-imaginative concepts, with the exception of the titular spinoff character. From the cat “extras” to the main cast, and even the grotesque villains, much thought is put into the visuals. Animation-wise, it’s typically gorgeous and intricately rendered, although the dimly lit scenes are really dark and difficult to see. That seems to be the case with some 3D and non-3D films being shown here lately. The visual quality is nowhere near as vivid as in the trailers, for some reason. It’s a recurring problem (possibly a calibration issue?) that has to be addressed by local cinemas soon.

Anyway, “Puss in Boots” manages to flesh out the main character quite impressively. Even those unfamiliar with the movies he previously appeared in will feel that they didn’t miss much. Puss is introduced anew as the roguish cat who hooks up with smitten felines, runs from furious cat owners and the law, and nobly risks himself to save lives.

Frequent collaborators Banderas and Hayek share a noticeable and comfortable bond, making the cartoon tandem quite easy to like. Kitty is also an appealing character, not only because she possesses nearly superhuman (or superanimal) speed and stealth, but also because she treads the line between heroine and villainess. She’s still cool even after she expectedly chooses a side.

Galifianakis, best known for the smash adult comedies “The Hangover” and its sequel, doesn’t sound like his amnesiac man-child character from those movies, thankfully. He’s pretty unrecognizable, which is a good thing. He gives surreal life to Humpty, who isn’t exactly the same after surviving the traumatic fall that was only partially chronicled in the old rhyme.

“Puss in Boots,” storywise, is pretty average; the high-stakes adventure is predictable, but there’s solid characterization. Kids and grownups, and old “Shrek” fans, will find Puss’ first solo caper pleasantly diverting.