3) Puss In Boots (2011)
Way back in 2004, Shrek 2 turned the original runaway Dreamworks smash – which brilliantly skewered fairy tales – into an ongoing franchise by exploring the complications the characters face following “happily ever after.” The film also introduced moviegoers to a swashbuckling kitten played to perfection by The Mask of Zorro star Antonio Banderas. Puss in Boots soon became a popular figure in his own right, stealing every single second he’s onscreen in Shrek 2 and leaving audiences clamoring for more.
Naturally, Dreamworks obliged, signing Banderas on for a full-length spinoff film set before Puss in Boots’ introduction in the Shrek franchise. Met with a largely positive critical response, the adventure expands on the fairy tale-centric world of the films, adding characters like Humpty Dumpty and Jack and Jill to the mythology. Moreover, it proved to be a sizable financial success, bringing in $555 million worldwide. Unfortunately, its domestic total wasn’t enough to lead Dreamworks to move forward on a now-defunct sequel, which was previously eyed for a 2018 release.
Published: May 4, 2016 02:16 pm