Over the course of more than 20 years, any long-running franchise that’s knocked out five feature-length blockbusters, a six-season TV series, two standalone specials, a stage musical, 13 video games, and five theme park attractions is always going to run out of gas eventually, but last year’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish hinted that there may just be mileage left in the sprawling Shrek saga after all.
Arriving a full 11 years after its predecessor, there were many expecting Antonio Banderas’ second solo adventure to be a disappointment considering that nobody was really asking for the movie in the first place, and DreamWorks’ massive fantasy property was nowhere near as culturally relevant as it had been the first time the feisty feline swung his sword on the big screen.
And yet, not only did The Last Wish blow expectations out of the water by hauling in $485 million at the box office, it also ended up as the best-reviewed installment in the entire Shrek franchise after landing a Certified Fresh approval rating of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes to go along with a 94 percent user average and an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
That wasn’t on anybody’s bingo card, especially when the initial spin-off was a solidly unspectacular family-friendly adventure that didn’t try particularly hard to stretch its creative or storytelling muscles. The Last Wish, on the other hand, was nothing short of sensational, and now it’s conquered Netflix to boot.
Per FlixPatrol, only 24 hours after being added to the library in the United States, the intrepid hero is the star of the number one top-viewed film in the country, adding another feather to an already gigantic hat.
