Puss in Boots, the lovable musketeer-coded feline scoundrel who appeared for the first time in Shrek 2 is one of my favorite animated characters of all time. When he got his own film in 2011 I went to see it with my family and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I’m happy to say its sequel, The Last Wish, is even better.

There are fun animated movies and then there are animated movies that take you for a ride. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a simple tale laced with stunning animation and a slew of great fairy tale characters that makes this animated film one of the best in recent memory.

But more importantly, it has a terrifying villain. I’m talking genuinely scary. I won’t go into much detail because that would involve the film’s plot but it’s really nice to see an animated villain that strikes fear into my heart again.

Disney movies have become more philosophical and thought-provoking so that they can win Best Animated film but I miss the days when we had good old-fashioned villains with arched eyebrows and truly evil intentions like Cruella de Vil and Scar.

As you can probably tell, I’m excited and that’s exactly the emotion I should have after seeing a movie, in theaters, on Christmas. What a day!

I’m giving Puss in Boots: The Last Wish 4 out of 5 stars and 93 out of 100.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a spectacular holiday.