Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots is a 2011 American computer-animated adventure film from DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Chris Miller, it serves as a spin-off prequel to DreamWorks’ Shrek films, centering on the sword-wielding cat first introduced in Shrek 2 (2004). Antonio Banderas reprises his role as Puss, whose Spanish-accented bravado and enormous pleading eyes had made him a popular Shrek character. The film was released in the United States on October 28, 2011, in conventional and 3D formats. Its story places Puss before his meetings with Shrek, portraying him as an outlaw seeking redemption and a fortune. In the film, Puss learns that the criminal pair Jack and Jill possess magic beans capable of growing a beanstalk to a giant’s castle in the sky. He joins forces with Kitty Softpaws, a clever cat voiced by Salma Hayek, and Humpty Alexander Dumpty, his estranged childhood friend voiced by Zach Galifianakis. Their goal is to steal golden eggs from the Goose that lays them. Flashbacks explain Puss’s orphaned upbringing at the San Ricardo orphanage and his former bond with Humpty. Puss had become notorious after being blamed for a bank robbery, while Humpty remained obsessed with the beans and the treasure. After reaching the castle, the trio takes a golden egg, but Puss discovers that Humpty has arranged events to frame him again in San Ricardo. Kitty eventually helps Puss confront the consequences of the theft. The mother Goose pursues the stolen egg, threatening the town when the beanstalk collapses. Humpty sacrifices himself to save Puss and the egg, falling with the Goose as the castle descends. Puss and Kitty escape, and Puss becomes a hero despite remaining a fugitive. The closing scene shows him avoiding authorities alongside Kitty. The narrative draws on the fairy-tale figures Humpty Dumpty and Jack and Jill, while giving them a comic heist framework. Billy Bob Thornton voices Jack and Amy Sedaris voices Jill. The supporting cast also includes Constance Marie as Imelda, Puss’s adoptive mother at the orphanage, and Guillermo del Toro as a commandant. The film’s score was composed by Henry Jackman, who scored Monsters vs. Aliens for DreamWorks in 2009. The film earned about $555 million worldwide against a $130 million production budget. At the 84th Academy Awards, it received a nomination for Best Animated Feature but lost to Rango. Puss in Boots was followed by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.