Puss (Antonio Banderas) has been on the run and for the longest time he has been tracking the mythical magical beans. Now that Jack & Jill are on their way to open the secret behind the beans, Puss has his work cut out. Or so he thinks. An old friend, Humpty Dumpty, and his partner Kitty Soft Paws are also after the beans, but they need Puss talents. This new adventure will only uncover the truth behind Puss pass as well as test his courage.

We all know Puss in Boots from the Shrek films, but the first time he was introduced in the second Shrek he was a complete character. Beyond what we saw then, he easily became a character that needed a story of his own. Rightfully so now he has a tale to tell and for the most part is a damn good one too. This prequel of sorts focuses on the different stages of his life that let him to be the cat he is. The style of storytelling from the Shrek movies remains intact, sans the adult innuendos, which is key for the success of the film. We knew that Puss in Boots had a potential for a creation of stories and adventures that could be told and I think filmmakers realized this and used it to its potential.

Puss in Boots is a great character; he is an adventurous, courageous, and a simple cat. What do I mean by that? Perhaps the best part about Puss is that beyond his fighter personality, there’s still a cat inside. A great amount of work went towards giving Puss both qualities and being able to exercise them during the film. It worked, the film was humorous, was entertaining, and it retained that good appeal to young and old. The latter is something that a lot of animated films tend to forget. There were new characters that entered the mix and fit right into the story quite well. Puss in Boots delivered the story behind the cat in a great way and I am happy to say that I can’t wait for more.

Puss in Boots arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG4-AVC encode framed at 2.40:1. DreamWorks Animation spent a lot of time putting this together carefully because it looks fantastic! The image is crystal clear. Colors are vivid and vibrant. Black levels are deep and very inky. Detailing is excellent throughout, just look at all the characters’ fur and you will immediately see the individual strands of hair or how about the grizzly facial texture of the guys at the bar as they talk to Puss. The landscape is also filled with intricate detail. The image is sharp at all times whether the scene is in light or dark. Puss in Boots looks absolutely great.

The 3D presentation of the Puss in Boots boasts a similar transfer like its 2D counterpart. However, there are a few inconsistencies with it that I would like to point out. Mainly, my biggest problem is that we lose some of the great detail work when in 3D. The picture is a bit darker as well. But like majority of DreamWorks 3D presentations, the 3D images are incredible. There’s no ghosting, there’s good depth in the picture that you can differentiate the 3D objects quite well, the effect appear to be applied in a good manner. The picture is still relatively sharp with vibrant colors. Overall, Puss in Boots features a good 3D presentation.

Puss in Boots arrives on Blu-ray with a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track. If you thought it couldn’t get any better, just wait until you hear this track. The dialogue is clean and clear throughout. The rears are very active with the ambient effects. Directionality is spot on in the fronts. The LFE is balanced and precise. The track is excellent it takes full advantage of the space. There are a multitude of scenes that truly take advantage of this track like the chariot chase scene where you hear the horses galloping and the bullets blazing through the air. It’s truly a great track. There are no signs of audio anomalies. Puss in Boots sounds excellent!

The Three Diablos – This a short film about Puss in Boots trying to recuperate a jewel that was stolen. It is also available in 3D.

A DreamWorks Fairy TAle – Users can select three topics and build rhymes from the options provided.

Puss’Paws Pouncing Challenge – Interactive game with the focus on capturing the lights.

The Animator’s Corner – A picture in picture option that allows the filmmakers to talk about the film. See animator’s discuss and show early stages of animation as well as artist sketches.

Trivia Track – See facts appear on the screen while the movie is playing.

Purr-fect Pairing: The Voices Behind The Legend – This feature will take you behind the scenes to see the actors during voice recording sessions.

Deleted Scenes – There are three total extra scenes.

Kitten to Cat – The cast and crew talk about Puss in Boots and how the character has evolved throughout the films. We also see how well Antonio Banderas brings the character to life.

Glitter Boy Dance Off – See how the filmmakers created the dance off scene in the film.

Klepto Kitty – See a real live “Puss”, meet Dusty a real live cat burglar. This is a funny piece, don’t miss it.

Kitty Keyboard – Pick from four songs to be played by a cat while Puss and Kitty Soft Paws dance on the screen.

Fairytale Pop-Up Book – Pick from a choice of Puss in Boots, Humpty Dumpty, Kitty Soft Paws, and Jack & Jill each one will take you to a menu where you can pick from memorable moments to favorite lines.

Kitty Strikes Again – Users will be looking to items missing in from frames of the movie in this interactive challenge.

World of DreamWorks – Choose from five of DreamWorks characters to see a trailer of the movie.

Previews

Digital Copy

Puss in Boots met and satisfied my expectations with a well-crafted story. Even though the film was now aimed at a younger crowd and it retained much of what made Shrek appeal to the older crowd. In another words this is a fresh story with a similar twist. The Blu-ray features a great video and audio presentation. The Blu-ray is jammed packed with supplements, however, many are interactive applications aimed at the younger crowd. With all that being said, Puss in Boots is highly recommended.