A Conversation with Puss in Boots

Forgive me if this one seems a little slight - I saw the film way back when I was coming home on the plane from Melbourne. I've decided to 'interview' it now since it is out on DVD this week. I had planned to see it again, but it didn't arrive until it's actual release date, meaning I couldn't take it home and give it a watch the night before. So I'm relying on my memory, which will be slightly distorted since I was quite sad to be leaving Melbourne behind...and the fact that the movie wasn't so memorable in the first place.

(A little backstory that may be useful - Christopher is named after a ginger cat that I never got. And imagine Puss in Boots' voice to be like Antonio Banderas', since the whole interview is with Puss in Boots, the character. You'll get the full experience, that way.)

CHRISTOPHER: I've spent all week with Real Steel running through a list of possible reboot ideas - I'm exhausted. Hopefully Puss in Boots won't have so many ideas for reboots. After all, it is only a spin-off of a series that has done its dash.
PUSS IN BOOTS: You say your name is Christopher?

C: One would assume so.
PIB: You say that you were named after a ginger cat, yes?

C: I've been told that is the case...
PIB: Where's your accent?

C: My accent? Uh...I have an accent, it just isn't the same as...
PIB: You have a Mariachi band?

C: No, I've never really felt the need...
PIB: Where's your boots?

C: Are my sneakers not good enough?
PIB: Come on, if an actual ginger cat can wear boots, then someone named after a fake ginger cat can at least wear the boots!

C: I'm sorry.
PIB: No no, it's okay. Just know that you'll never be one of us. Now, you were going to ask me questions, yes?

C: What do you mean, 'one of us'?
PIB: I guess I should say, a movie about fairytale characters, but you know that the coolest character in Shrek was me. Therefore, you'll never be like me - you're just not cool enough.

C: Oh wow, thank you.
PIB: Now get on with your questions!

C: What's your story?
PIB: I'm one of those origin movies. You know those origin movies? Like that X-Men: First Class one. With that man in it, the shark...what's his name?

C: Michael Fassbender.
PIB: Yes, him. He's one fish I would not like to eat. No matter how big he is.

C: I'm hoping that you are not insinuating something that goes far over the heads of your target audience...
PIB: I was meaning that a shark would be too big for me to personally eat. What do you think I was saying?

C: Oh, nothing. Speaking of suitability, do you think you're good for the kids?
PIB: Well, I am animated, and kids like animation. I come from Shrek, and kids like Shrek. Why do you not think I am 'suitable' for the kids? Is it because I like to spend my time with the lovely looking female felines?

C: You're very forward with them...
PIB: It is just part of my nature! No kid can tie me down!

C: B...
PIB: I don't see any kids with cats who wear boots!

C: Well, no...
PIB: You have made the cat angry. You do not want to make the cat angry!

C: I'm sorry.
PIB: I forgive you...for now.

C: At least you reference Fight Club.
PIB: Well, Humpty does. 

C: There's nothing wrong with a Fight Club reference, even in a kids movie.
PIB: I thought that one would be enough, but then I saw Rango. How dare I lose an Oscar to that chameleon! What's nothing wrong with me?! I bet it was your doing! I challenge you to a duel!

C: If you want me to be a Greek God, I was told by Immortals that I was too pale...
PIB: You are too pale. No, I want to duel you to see who can look the cutest!

C: Ummmm...okay...
PIB: ME FIRST!

Now your turn!

CHRISTOPHER:

PIB:....You keep your sneakers, you'll never be worthy of the boots!

What I got:

No Pixar, No Problem: I Talk Out the Animated Oscar Race.

This was posted this morning at the LAMB for their 'LAMB Devours the Oscars' series. You can check it out there, or check it out here...do as you please...

I actually wrote a post about the animated film category a LONG time ago, and I was predicting that should The Adventures of Tintin be eligible, it would sweep this category. I received confirmation that it was indeed eligible, but once it came for nomination time, no dice. If that didn’t win, I was gunning for Winnie the Pooh to take the prize, just because it was so awesome, but nothing happened there, either. So now, we have an extremely weird and incredibly ‘meh’ line-up for this year’s animated Oscar...without any PIXAR (suck on that, Cars 2). Let’s get into it, shall we?

A Cat in Paris

This one was the only animated feature I didn’t get to catch in time for writing this post, even though it is out on DVD here (it just continues to elude me). I’d always had a feeling that this would get in, but only if they took five nominees, which in other words means it has no chance of winning. But you can see just how much the Academy loves cats – this is the first of two movies to feature a cat. Maybe if Snowy out of Tintin was a cat, it would have been nominated?
The Drawcard: Generally positive consensus. Cats.
The Drawback: Not seen by a wide enough audience, and there are better films nominated.
Chance of Winning: 25%

Chico & Rita

Let it be said that this is not animation for kids, this is animation for adults. In a lot of ways, I felt like this one would have been better as a live action film rather than an animated film, mainly because its story is so beautiful, but also so overdone. As for the film’s chances, they’re about next to none. While being a perfectly good film, A Cat in Paris definitely beats it to the punch for being the ‘better’ foreign animation, and this one still remains to be seen by a lot of people. However, whilst watching it I was remembering The Princess & the Frog...this is a very Disney style animation, just a bit more adult. That could work in its favour.
The Drawcard: Being an animation for adults.
The Drawback: Has anyone besides me actually seen it? It stands virtually no chance.
Chance of Winning: 10%

Kung Fu Panda 2

This one came as a bit or a surprise to me, as I knew it had been quite positively received but I didn’t think that it would be enough to get it in. However, I just watched this one and its predecessor the other day and I was quite impressed. Being a long time since I’ve seen Rango (which I loved), I’m very much in the Kung Fu Panda 2 camp at the moment, and see it as the only one that could possibly beat Rango. Because, of course, it has twice the awesomeness.
The Drawcard: Generally positive consensus, good box-office take, original also got nominated in this category back in 2009.
The Drawback: Rango.
Chance of Winning: 50%

Puss in Boots

I caught this one on the plane, so forgive me if I didn’t think it was so spectacular on a 10” low-def screen. But no, this was quite a good movie, bringing light to one of my favourite characters from the Shrek franchise. However, since Puss was in the whole movie, I could tell how insanely creepy he was. Like, seriously, should he even be fronting a movie for kids? He is...well...quite seedy. Anyway, does this have any Oscar chances? Well, for me it was a bit of a surprise nomination, and I can’t see it beating Rango at all. It was pretty run-of-the-mill, but an improvement of the last two Shreks.
The Drawcard: Spanning from a popular franchise, being genuinely beautiful to look at. Cats.
The Drawback: The lead cat being largely inappropriate for target audience. Rango.
Chance of Winning: 40%

Rango

It is pretty darn obvious that this is going to win. Despite the fact that it came out literally ages ago, it has held up this entire time and people seemed to like all of the Western references it has going on in it. Rango is a really cool movie, there’s no doubting that, but I’ve yet to physically meet someone who actually liked it – I either mix with really bad people who don’t have taste or they’re seeing something that I don’t. Perhaps it is one for us people who like our movie references and chameleons...and hopefully the voters are one of us, too. I won’t be grumbling if this takes the prize.
The Drawcard: Everything, from the references to the impeccable animation to Johnny Depp.
The Drawback: Slightly hesitant response from the people of Dannevirke, New Zealand. That should hurt its chances badly.
Chance of Winning: 95%

And this is what a year looks like without PIXAR...how many more of these years are we going to see in our lifetime?