Portia Placino

I’ve watched Puss in Boots three nights in a row in different cinemas with different friends. I was not planning on writing about it, but it had to happen. Imagine, THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW, from Thursday night to Saturday night, all I did was watch Puss in Boots. I have to say, its was worth it anyway.

First, it was all about the company. With movies that you know from the beginning will lack in-depth, you just have to let it go and condition yourself to laugh. That is what we did Thursday night. Cyrus, Adj and I were there to get a laugh. We paid PhP300.00 for a Php250.00 ticket at SM Cinema in North Edsa. The additional PhP50.00 was for the “FREE” popcorn. Personally, after New York’s finest pizza and spaghetti with meatballs from Yellow Cab, we didn’t really want the popcorn, especially SM popcorn (mediocre at best popcorn). I wish we had the option to forego the popcorn. Someone from BIR should look into that, my receipt said PhP250.00, but I paid PhP300.00. Something is definitely wrong here.

Anyway, back to the ultimate laugh trip, for the last full show on Thursday evening, there was the three of us, plus a couple, watching it in full 3D. Of course we took advantage of it and laughed. And laughed. And LAUGHED. It was all the movie was about. Sure there was redemption and some other cartoony values, but for the most part, it was catty jokes that you should let yourself be carried away in laughter. From the Shrek 2, where we first saw Puss in Boots, up to the full feature film, he never fails to be funny. Lightens the heart and spirit.

The next night, since I failed to inform Estee and Joan that I have already seen Puss in Boots and its the movie that they really do want to see, then, they’ve already bought tickets before I was able to say otherwise. Anyway, why would I deprive them of the laugh trip that I have enjoyed the night before? I was there to be with them more than I wanted to see a movie. So after dinner at Teriyaki Boy, we watched the movie at Gateway (not my favorite cinema but a convenient meeting place), then ended up in Dairy Queen for ice cream. Once again, a night of laughter, though not as loud as the night before.

Saturday night, well, we had choices, but since Louie was feeling under the weather and a tad depressed, and he said he wanted to watch Puss in Boots, once again, who am I to deny? It was supposed to be fun. After enormous burgers with everything on it from Army Navy, we hit SM Cinema, but not the 3D one. Isn’t really that great for 3D anyway, so why not just pay half the price? I guess he was looking for something else and he said he didn’t really find slapstick that amusing, so I’m more or less the only one laughing. Well, me and the numerous audience anyway. After all, it’s a Saturday night. My theory is that it’s all about letting go and laughing.

I said before, the movie lacked depth. But, if you would look closely, it uses most of our favorite nursery rhymes. Puss in Boots, though, because of the Shrek hype, the original story have slipped my mind. You will see Jack and Jill, no longer the clumsy kids but as toughies, yet still referring to tumbling down the hill. Another part where I keep on laughing (while the rest are silent) is on their discussion about having kids. It was hilarious! Another character is from Jack and the Beanstalk, but he was imprisoned because he sold the wrong cow. The giant this Jack fought with was alluded to, and was of course, already dead. The children in the orphanage also refer to various nursery rhymes including Little Boy Blue and Mary had a Little Lamb. I just hope that the rest of the audience recognize them, but I highly doubt it. Children just don’t grow up with nursery rhymes anymore. I wonder if they still find the irony in the story of Humpty Dumpty and the Golden Goose. I grew up with nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Watching Puss in Boots made me nostalgic for those times, especially as I see how the children of today grow up. It feels like they lack the magic and wonder of the earlier days. And I’m not even 30 yet…

The best part of Puss in Boots, aside from the catty wit and humor, is the marriage of various nursery rhymes that we have grown up with. I just hope that children today can still grow up with them. In a way, we saw what broke Humpty Dumpty and what makes the Golden Goose so special. It is a special animated feature. It makes us remember the good times and hopefully make us want to share such good times with today’s children.

Tell me, what is your favorite Puss in Boots moment?

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