Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2012

The swashbuckling title kitty in the big boots and plumed hat (flawlessly voiced by Antonio Banderas) virtually stole the show in Shrek 2, making a spinoff inevitable. Thus this fun origin story about how a lowly gato burglar becomes involved with shady childhood friend Humpty Dumpty (Zack Galifinakis) in an ill-fated scheme to steal magic beans or golden geese or something from the avaricious thugs Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris). This doesn’t go well, but in the process he meets feisty fellow feline felon Kitty Softpaws (a purring, equally flawless Salma Hayek) and falls for her like a sack of catnip. We then learn how he earned the boots and the funny hat. There’s little depth to the plot or even continuity, and it feels improvised because it is. But it’s clever, colorful, kinetic, and cute as hell. (In an early saloon scene, Puss breaks his macho character to primly lap up his milk. Hilarious.) And, somewhat amazingly, considering its Shrek roots, it eschews gross-out gags and pop-culture riffs. Kids will dig the pure silliness of this theme park ride, and parents will enjoy the nudge-nudge, wink-wink humor.