‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish — Collector’s Edition’ 4K Ultra HD movie review

The famed feline swashbuckler beloved in the Shrek animated universe made a blockbuster return to the big screen after a 11-year hiatus and now brings his intense, humorous adventure to 4K home theaters in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish — Collector’s Edition (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 102 minutes, $34.98).

The fairy tale finds our esteemed bandit realizing that he is finally down to the last of his nine lives and has been strongly advised to retire.

An encounter with a ferocious bounty hunter wolf wielding a pair of sickles, sucks the confidence from Puss in Boots and overtaken by fear, he withdraws from danger forever to the home of cat lady Mama Luna and takes on the moniker of Pickles.

However, his past quickly catches up with him as Goldilocks and the Three Bear crime family try to recruit the cat burglar to steal a map of the Dark Forest containing the location of the Wishing Star.

Chaos ensues as Puss in Boots, with help from his new pint-sized canine friend Perrito and former love interest Kitty Softpaws, accepts the challenge. However, hoping to use the Wishing Star to get his lives back, he instead goes to battle against the Bears as well as the infamous psychotic collector crime lord Big Jack Horner and his Baker’s Dozen for the prize.

Viewers do not just get a rousing and even heartwarming story about mortality, aging and friendship starring the voices of Antonio Banderas as Puss and Salma Hayek Pinault as Kitty but plenty of moments of hilarity and a visual smorgasbord using the latest and greatest of computer-animation techniques.

I am still laughing at the introduction of Ethical Bug, a Jiminy Cricket character with a voice of Jimmy Stewart no less who sat on Jack Horner’s shoulder to guide him toward a more moral lifestyle.

The animation style delivers not only a vibrant realism but gets complemented by mind-blowing action scenes that look like a hand-painted storybook has come to life and reminiscent of the comic book style capers of everyone’s favorite web slinger, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

By far, Puss in Boots latest escapades offers a fantastic night of home entertainment for the entire family and is one of the best-looking 4K disc releases of the year.

4K in action: The ultra-high definition transfer with high dynamic range enhancements will make viewers exclaim, “My, oh my, how computer artisans have helped redefine the world of animation.”

Viewers can count the whiskers on Puss in Boots as easily the razor stumbles on grizzled characters.

They will also not believe the level afforded a full array of fur types on all an anthropomorphic animals as well as the wild hair on the humans that covers the gamut of textures and motion.

Now, the star of the show is an abundance of overtly saturated, eye-blistering colors that will cause intermittent brain freezes, as witnessed in an opening scene as the Wishing Star crashes into the dark forest and brings forth an explosion of flora and fauna to life.

Random moments to examine and admire that almost three dimensionally pop from the screen include a pocket full of monstrous blue, crystalize posies and roses in the Dark Forest; a Phoenix flamethrower burning down posies with flames that look cut out of a watercolor comic book; a unicorn horn that when shot at opponents blows them up into colorful confetti; and an ominous lightning storm.

Best extras: Universal indulges all interested in the movie with bonus content catering to fans, lovers of making an animated film and those looking for some hands-on fun.

Start with the pure fans who get a four-minute short continuing the adventures of Puss in Boots in a full-screen format as he and Kitty steal Big Jack Horner’s magical Trident artifact and then a nearly 15-minute montage of real cats being cute interspersed with scenes form the film.

Next, budding filmmakers can listen to a bubbly optional commentary track with director Joel Crawford, co-director Januel P. Mercado, producer Mark Swift, editor James Ryan, and head of story John Gilbert as they dissect the story nuances, animation and of their classic.

Also, for behind-the-scene film fans, they get a 13-minute look at the characters Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws, Perrito, Goldilocks and the Bears, Jack Horner and the Wolf as explained by the directors and the voice-over actors.

And, nine minutes on the cast and crew explaining the legend of Puss in Boots and bringing him back to life in a more dynamic and evolved animated format.

For the younger fans, directors first offer a tutorial on how to draw Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws and Perrito.

Additionally, and way more complicated, Puss in Boots and Mr. Crawford explain in a detailed, step-by-step process on how to build a cardboard, 3D version of the pooch Perrito.