Fun for kiddies and adults alike.

Rating: 6/10 (4 December 2011)

With the big green ogre well and truly running his course, the time has come for scene-stealing ex-sidekick Puss (Antonio Banderas) to take centre stage. It's not surprising that Dreamworks chose to give this swashbuckling feline his own movie; his arrogantly suave persona, Zorro-esque action moves and razor-sharp wit all combine to deliver a highly watchable lead character that will no doubt generate his own franchise. The film itself, however, struggles to maintain the entertaining antics of the first two acts – a dance-off between Puss and his rival / love interest Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) is exhilarating – when it comes to the cut and paste final act. Despite its narrative shortfalls and a less-than-brilliant third wheel co-star Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), it looks terrific. Every strand of fur, every human character and every Sun-drenched dusk setting are rendered in flawless CGI, with the third dimension subtly incorporated (the way it should be). Plenty to work on for next time round maybe, but there's more than enough here to ensure it's a satisfying 90 minutes for kiddies and adults alike.