Movies

Created by Dreamworks and directed by Chris Miller, Puss in Boots is a spin-off from the successful Shrek series, and its charm and 3D animation are more than a whisker above.

Set in Roadrunner territory, Puss (Antonio Banderas), is outlawed from his hometown, having been set up by old friend Humpty 'Alexander' Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis), who is always scrambled between being a good or bad egg, literally.

Full of machismo and romantic adventure, our feline hero soon teams up with at-first rival and then love interest Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) in a quest for the goose that lays the golden egg. Puss begrudgingly has to include Humpty, who proves to be an ingenious plotter, albeit untrustworthy. The trio steal magic beans from the hilariously ugly Jack and Jill, (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris) and grow a giant beanstalk to get to the goose.

Just like Shrek, Puss has many nursery rhyme characters, including Mother Goose herself, much larger than life in her honking glory. Thankfully we don't get that awful shade of green, the annoying Eddie Murphy or the constant toilet humour. No kitty litter here.

Banderas is purrfect for the voice and bravado of Puss. What brings his character great charm is that while he's a fearless hero and 'great lover', he is still just a cat, gleefully lapping up a glass of milk during a stand-off, and chasing spots of light.

The 3D works well, and even though the plot becomes slightly convoluted towards the end, the charm and humour win out. Let's ask an expert, seven-year-old Liam Phillips:

"The funniest parts were when the cats were playing music with the ribs of a fish and Kitty kept on stealing Puss's boots."

Definitely up to scratch.