I remember hitting a point with CG animated films where I wondered if the art style would ever change from that big-eyed-but-somehow-hyper-realistic Disneyâ˘Pixar style. Not that itâs a bad style! Just spawned a lot of copycats that could never quite match Pixarâs level of polish.
Weâre sort of seeing a similar thing now in a post-Spiderverse (or is it post-Klaus-teaser? or even post-Paperman?) where we have a whole lot of films coming out with this 2.5D blend. Part of me worries that itâll grow old too, but the difference with this art style is it allows for so much more flavor. Papermanâs filmic fluid style couldnât be more different than the animated-on-threes action sequences in Puss and Boots: The Last Wish. But both reflect unique approaches to animation that celebrates the mediumâs unrivaled flexibility.
For Puss and Boots, it lends itself extremely well to its representation of Pussâs relentless stalker and his subsequent panic attacks (a surprisingly heavy-hitting theme throughout the film). And the strongly keyframed action sequences offer a visual buffet without getting lost in the noise, something that most live-action action films lack. Looking at you, Marvel (also looking at you, Speed Racer, for being so ahead of your time in this regard).
Bummed it took me this long to get around to watching this. Thereâs a particular impression of a certain actor towards the end that cracked me up.
