Why The Wolf From Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Is One Of The Best Villains Ever (A Character Study)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ม.ค. 2023
- #pussinbootsthelastwish
Death the Wolf from Puss In Boots: The Last Wish was easily the best part of a movie that I genuinely consider to be the best animated picture this year. If that doesn’t tell you how much I love this character, then maybe this video will, as today, we look at why Death is such a great villain.
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He is cold and unfeeling, yet open and relaxed, precise and elegant, yet savage and brutal, and terrifying as fuck
*claps* Couldn’t have said it better myself! He is one *scary* motherfucker.
Yeah
@@Tetsulot Goddamnit
@@Tetsulot 🤨📸
i gotta agree with to u itsfg
He only has 7 MINUTES of screen time and yet is more terrifying than nearly every horror antagonist I have ever seen.
Exactly! Puss in boots beats modern horror movies by miles
I think he works like the xenomorph from the first alien's movie.
I almost wish they spent more time using him as psychological horror, they should have had more moments where he is there but you can't really see him like the bathroom scene.
@@DakkaDakka12 I think he appears in the background in some scenes even before his introduction
I agree. Not only is he physically terrifying but he also has an auditory fear factor and that's his whistle. That way, he can scare you before you look at him and he's dressed so that if the camera didn't automatically point to his location, he would be difficult to find. He has great character design.
That's part of the reason he is so scary. It's hard to be afraid of something that you see, know, and understand. Keeping him as off screen as possible aided in the unknown factor, which caused the tension around him to skyrocket whenever he did appear.
Fun fact: Death the Wolf's weapons are called Shotels, which are used to knock warriors off of mounts. So metaphorically and literally, he was there to knock Puss from his high horse.
They're also very similar to a farmers hand scythe, kind of tool used to reap during harvest.
@@hariman7727 Sickles, the hand variant and predecessor of scythes, suggesting that he's OLD. Also, the pose he does with them is reminiscent of a pharoah's burial pose, holding the rod and the flail. The robe is obviously reminiscent of the classic European Grim Reaper. When he puts the two coins on his eyes is a reference to paying the Ferryman for a trip across the River Styx from Greek and Roman mythology. They just went SO DEEP on this character and it came off BEAUTIFULLY.
@@colinsmith1495 About the coins, it's not just that. Coins were put exactly in the eyes of the dead during burial for that, so the coins being in the eyes is completely on point.
Finally Someone Calls Them Their Proper Name 😭✋
Thanks for that fact!
I like to think that Death loves seeing fear because that means people value their life enough to feel fear of losing it. He hated Puss because he was never afraid of Death, meaning he never valued life.
Also Death couldn't stand Puss's arrogance and selfishness.
I agree.
the more you value your life, the more is worth for death. the more active your life is, the more worth it has.
death wants neither arrogance nor cowardice.
live your life puss. live it well.
death made it clear. enjoy the adventures of life but, remember, we all die.
@@saricubra2867 you had nine lives and you didn't value any of them .this line is enough to show how he feels about puss .
Deep
What a wholesome note to add to death's menacing "I love the smell of fear" scene.
I love that he never runs when he's chasing Puss. It lets the movie show that he isn't worried about catching up with puss like the other antagonists, he knows that Puss can't get away and he wants Puss to know it too.
He's a literal troll for that 😂
Every time he appears after the second, he gets a little closer.
he's not chasing puss. he's just reminding him that puss can run, but can't escape. death is always there. chasing us. waiting for our time. and you, puss, are no exception.
You're right. Darth Vader never ran, either.
@@magirano768We do a little trolling
I love how they made red eyes terrifying instead of tacky. His eyes hammer everything in that much more.
love the little flash of light u see in them when he spins his blades
They really stand out, making his features look slightly off in comparison, especially since he already has a pretty long snout to boot. It adds to the uncanniness, the unnerving presence he possesses.
When he came into the cave of souls and you could only see his eyes for a moment before the rest of him…
Jesús…I fucking jumped. That was scary.
Dude, I literally had a panic attack 😂@@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343
@@remindyouofwho7201 Literally same.
I absolutely love that they gave Death a pair of sickles instead of stereotypical scythe. It gives him vibe of a hunter going after an elusive prey
My partner stole deaths scythe, so yeah. Were not giving it back either.
And the fact that we’re supposed to think he IS a hunter for over half the movie sells it
@@Areis2853 how did that happen
Malthael from Diablo 3, the arcangel of death uses a pair of sickles.
Do you think death is overrated as a villain?
Something I love about Death is how he is funny, but is not played for laughs. He has legit funny moments, like when he’s complimenting Puss’ boots and that whole “metaphorically or rhetorically or theoretically” bit.
It would’ve been easy just to make him super edgy and super dark, but instead he is as funny and as charismatic as he is terrifying. If anything, his sense of humour actually makes him scarier, because there’s always this sense of unease as to whether he’s going to crack a joke, say a cool line or try to hack Puss to pieces. It’s just a wonderful balance of humour and fear that I wish were in more villains.
Why do autistic people love using the term edgy
The description you're looking for is "he has a Sense of Humor".
i think it makes him scarier because you really find trouble understanding his motive when hes joking around
He's funny and charismatic because he knows that no matter what, he will ALWAYS win, as Puss WILL die one day, and he will be there to meet him.
Also works to make him scarier by showing how comfortable and not in danger at all he feels as he is relaxed enough to crack jokes. That his sense of humour is really dark just gives it that extra spice
He's not a villain, he's a force of nature that comes for us all. He was there to humble him and he did.
You're right
CORRECT.
No, Death is still a villain. He wanted to kill Puss early, not teach him a lesson.
@@chaoticevil2206 That's not true. The Wolf had him dead to rights SEVERAL times. He LITERALLY said it to his face that he never appreciated life, which is why he came at him so hard, Puss never stood a chance and even he admits it in the movie. Once again, death is a force of nature and death will collect all of us. So in summary, we should be grateful for every single day of life we have until then.
@@TheInfamousWolf death main job is kill person that totally didn't care the value of life. Puss before second movie came he the so legend which technical for puss legend equal to immortal that he actually died a lot until now he only had one life then meet death like just these two no people and other person presences during 1 part. When before the end came death fight puss but puss know the importance value of life which in technical that give death difficult cuz again he kill person that didn't care the value of life.
Unlike most Shrek or Puss In Boots characters, Death isn't a fairy tale. He represents something real.
Yes everyone is shreks universe is childish but not him💀
He is "The Big Bad Wolf" though no?
And yet he's fantastical, like a fairytale in his presence as well.
He starts hunting Puss in Boots because Puss is heedless to the value of his multiple lives, but he also asks for an autograph with sincere admiration for his death-defying antics, and walks away when Puss shows that he's no longer the foolhardy legend who thinks he's invincible.
@@IccyTheOne no. Just because he is a wolf doesnt mean he is "THE" Big Bad Wolf from the 3 Little Pigs story. Death is Death in a form of a wolf.
@@IccyTheOne He said it himself. He's death, straight up. So no, he's not the big bad wolf
His role is so perfect. They live in a nursery rhyme world and hes the “big bad” wolf cliche. He also had a good goal that wasnt really evil he just wanted puss to appreciate life. Can’t believe they let there be blood in a dreamworks movie, makes it 10x better
Hey just remember Eagle Eye is a Dreamworks movie
He is actually Anubis, the god of death
I know, when I saw the blood drip down his face I knew it was going to be a bit darker movie than the rest.
That’s not what happened though, he wanted to kill Puss since he was bound to lose his life due to his heroics, he only stopped because Puss changed for the better. If he didn’t change Death would have killed him.
When i saw the blood dripping down his forehead i thought to myself "no way it's really blood in a DreamWorks movie." and dismissed it thinking they'll prolly reveal it to be wine or fruit liquid that somehow made its way there. When the realisation hit that DreamWorks actually included real blood i thought that was a very bold move. I always enjoy when big companies make bold moves like these in supposed kids movies
I think what also makes the Wolf so great as a character is that he isn't 'evil' in a sense. He's Death, and he's just doing his job. But Puss, like all other cats, has nine lives, and he specifically squandered his first eight. Death's goal is entirely understandable once you realize who he is. Before he was just a super scary and powerful bounty hunter, now you realize he's just had enough of Puss' bullshit.
He does seem to want people to die, he enjoys them suffering before death and he finds joy in their death. We haven’t seen how he treats those that actually appreciated life though so he’s probably nice to them but I think he’s still a little evil.
@Gary Keene I think he mainly enjoyed beating Puss because not only did he have 9 lives which Death Wolf found to be bs but he also squandered all of them doing the same thing, being that cocky self-loving hero. In the end of the movie, he said he had come for the cocky self-loving cat that was there before but he recognized that Puss had changed and was willing to allow him to live out his final life even though he could just kill him anyway because he's died before and his soul could be considered owed to death especially if he finds the 9 lives to be nonsensical. However, we don't know if death has some sort of master like Hades so it's possible Hades or whatever else would enforce the 9 lives thing but Idk that's just my thoughts
@@SuperGakman He more wants them to value life, he doesn't go after anyone but boots because he thinks his lives are unimportant and can waste them. He's not evil
I think he justifies it being done on someone like Puss. He wants some excitement in his life, but now Puss is no longer the kind of prey that he wants to chase, he spared him.
He gets no enjoyment out of killing someone who has changed and learned. Someone who thought they're too big and immortal, those are the kind that he loves to humble and see cower before him.
@@nickelion1760 exactly. And considering that everyone of Puss' deaths we're completely stupid and avoidable it's understandable why he doesn't think much about him. He gets more chances to live than any normal person would and he squanders them and doesn't take the hint that he should treat them with more value.
The wolf definitely one of the best dreamworks villians along with tai lung from kung fu panda and legitimately gave me and my family chills when he was on screen
Now that is a fight I'd love to see that fight
Don’t think he is a villain but he’s really awesome
@@WolfMoon351 True. He's just doing his job
@@WolfMoon351 yeah he just doing the thing he was made for. Someone has to look like a villain.
@@isaiahgruenberg1594 lol L comment.
I enjoyed how Death essentially broke Puss's whole gimmick; Puss is supposed to be a 'fearless', powerful hero, but yet Death outright contradicted that by making Puss feel fear. It was highlighted a lot through the movie and I think DreamWorks wanted to emphasize that little detail.
And Puss bragged so much about how 'I have never known the touch of the blade' until his FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH DEATH.
I know. 😂😂😂 He literally became a Scaredy cat
You forgot one crucial detail… there was no “ahhh you beat me. The hero prevails again” moment. Death literally just went “Nevermind lmao”
That, to me, adds to how much of a threat he is.
Even Puss admits he will never truly beat him.
He literally only left because Puss took the fun out of it.
I appreciated that detail too!
Something that comes to mind is that since he is "Death" a wolf may not be what he really looks like. When Death decides to go after someone for whatever reason he could decide to take the form that best fits the target.
The "Wolf" is visually the opposite of Puss, and challenges him in a way Puss recognizes. This could possibly mean that future Shrek/Puss movies we could see an eerily familiar character that we don't instantly recognize, until they start whistling.
ooohhh that could be cool
That be sick as hell
Actually, I think this form was chosen because of the Puss in Boots TV Series.
The main threat (BBEG) in that series (quite literally for several seasons) was a being known as "the BloodWolf". In the series, it was just a very big and very deadly god like creature that wanted nothing more than to wipe out all of life. (Due to story reasons) he didn't actually show up until the end of season 4 and only really for a few episodes.
Now it could be slightly due to the similar naming convention or the fact that they're technically part of two separate universes. However, if I remember correctly, they share a similar design to each other (aside from the cloak). th-cam.com/video/6Ww0t2t21mE/w-d-xo.html
Ok but puss recognizing him thanks to that whistle would honestly be epic it be just like
Puss: wait I thought you were a wolf?
Death: aheheh I can take which ever form I want when I go after someone a wolf was for you to be challenged by
Also it make's it easy for reviewers to talk about the movie without spoiling it. Just call him the Big Bad Wolf and no one would suspect a thing.
Death says it himself that the only reason he wants to kill puss is because he likes seeing people who think they are immortal die at his blades. The fear is just a plus for him.
Exactly
Dude really said 'humble yourself'
he want to teach the cat a lesson in the value of life. Otherwise the cat would be dead already in the bar
But also that puss in boots has abused his 9 lives, that puss thinks he's immortal and that death has caught many people in his claws regardless of the way they died. But what death teaches is, you better value life before death comes to claim you.
Like someone else said, he's basically the max level player in a game humbling the toxic tryhards who think they're the best
The actor who played the wolf, is a Brazilian actor,called Wagner Moura, he's so so good. I'm happier more people got to know his work 😊
He does an excellent job making death both affable and intimidating.
No wonder he sounded familiar. Plays Pablo Escobar in Narcos.
yeah I recognized his voice when wolf said ''muy bien'' in the last fight the reason must be coz he played pable escobar and mostly talk spanish in that role but GOD his muy bien reminded me of pable escobar just think about that the embodiment of death having the voice of pablo escobar lmao sounds about right
To those who squander and waste the gift life is, Death appears as a terrifying monster, but to a life well lived he comes back like a long lost friend who has tea with you on Sunday.
That is so true. Well said.
Death is the only character from a KIDS MOVIE that ever gave me goosebumps just by him whistling it just gave me the feeling that something was crawling under my skin, what a fantastic character indeed.
I wouldn’t call Puss n Boots 2 a kids movie. It seemed more like a movie for the people who were kids when Puss n Boots 1 came out 11 years ago.
Plus at the theater, there were like 3 kids and 40 adults
So true. The last time I was creeped out by a cartoon villain was Shan Yu from Mulan.
@@prosimian other mother from coraline?
Agreed! Death The Wolf can easily give children nightmares. His character is so foreboding… His presence in the movie had my heart racing and I’m 31… Truly a scary character! Bravo!
This movie had a lot of adult humor which I appreciated, but could have been very grim. Could have easily been a pg-13 movie if they cranked it up just a notch
Syndrome in Incredibles was the last terrifying villain in an animation film
But Death in Puss in Boots 2 is straight up horror
Him legitimately being Death means he's the most powerful DreamWorks villain to be introduced so far.
Even better is that they kinda confirm it by showing him casually walking through the Wishing Star's deletion barrier like it was nothing
Absolutely. Every villain wants to be feared, but what do _all_ of us fear more than anything? What can none of us escape from?
He's not even a villain (definitely not 'evil' per say) so much as the darkest fact of life
@@memelover6917yeah. Hes been shown to completely bypass everything that happens. He cant be seen by regular people if he chooses, he can teleport/shift reality around him, and he never really gets hurt. He’s the real deal.
@@LethalMonarch Think Metro man can beat him?
@@player111q7 not even close
The little dog was such a well-needed character in this movie, because he was, simply a dog - happy for life itself and unconditionally loving those around him, even if they’re abusive and try to kill him.
Jack was just a hilarious side antagonist, I might add.
Jack was straight pimpin that Gucci bag no cap
And yet Jack was also scary in his own right, because if you're around him you're probably going to get hurt if you're not careful.
The fact they added blood when Death cut Puss makes his presence 10x more threatening throughout the movie
Especially after all Puss's bragging of 'I have never known the touch of a blade.' Well you have now, so get serious.
@@colinsmith1495 that was the point of that drop of blood. even the puss in boots can be defeated.
Better still, it was just a little bit of blood. It's what you'd get if you cut yourself accidentally or took a tumble, yet seeing it was chilling. In a way, scarier than the buckets of blood tossed into some horror movies for shock value.
@@TheKulu42 in a sense, it reminds me of the movie "the untouchables" where one of the so called untouchables gets murdered on an elevator and they use his blood to write "touchable" on the wall.
the fear is just that you are no longer untouchable. wake from your dreamworld puss in boots. you can die.
This movie was straight up one of my favorite animated movies of all time. They handled the death anxiety SO WELL. Seeing death protrayed "straight up" was so cool, and it gave the viewers a visual way to see what Puss was running from. Plus he's a badass and his design is awesome!
It was so good I had to watch it twice with my friends who at first was skeptical but loved it ❤❤
@@captainamerica1940SAME HERE AND I’M SO HAPPY THAT MY FRIENDS LOVED IT!!!!
@@captainamerica1940 I also saw it twice and plan to see it again!! XD
@@HiHi-lt1cb honestly top 3 favorite movie of 2022
@@captainamerica1940 for me the best easily.
I think its better than Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio by a pretty big margin.
I love that they didn't overuse or put death in too many scenes, that way it'd be more hype everytime he's in the scene
One thing I seemed to notice is that death only appears when puss is considering his own mortality. He first sees death after being told he's on his last life while hes drinking in a bar in deep thought.
He sees him a second time as he escapes a chase, terrified for his life.
He sees him a third time in the middle of a fight where he's actively being hunted down while he watches several people die a painful death around him.
He sees him a fourth time as he recollects his past lives.
Death only appears when he's feared. Which really sells how this is the first time puss ever really thought about the consequences of his actions.
@@dreadedtactician7936 I guess you could say, "death calls"
I'll leave...
@@maximnikolaev6627 no no stay you were spitting facts
@@dreadedtactician7936 Definitely. Especially since Death mentioned that Puss couldn't see him before, when he wasn't afraid of dying.
What people didn't notice is that at the beginning of the movie, the Wolf showed up sparingly. But at the end, the wolf appeared much more and much more prominently to signify he's getting closer.
He was SO well written. I just got out watching it, and damn THAT’S how you make a good villain.
I just love when lighthearted concepts use psychological horror to spice up the mood. It's such an underrated tool in the arsenal of any artist.
What's also hilarious is the fact that death technically is not a villain. He's simply doing his job chasing someone who's constantly evaded him repeatedly, and he's come to put them on his final rest.
I would call Death the antagonist, but not a villain.
@@Vaajraath That would be like saying the Terminator isn't a villain. T-800 was also just doing what it was meant to do.
@@VaajraathExactly. There's a difference
@@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588 I mean, I guess you could argue that point from a certain point of view. I think it's far more apt to call Death an antagonist though, as death is simply a force of nature. It isn't good. It isn't evil. It just is, and sooner or later it comes for all mortal life.
@@Vaajraath WHY ARE PEOPLE CALLING HIM A VILLAIN IN THE FIRST PLACE? Low IQ imbeciles.
I think the coolest part about death is probably the fact that in the end, puss doesn’t really even beat him, he just doesn’t really want to kill puss anymore. The fact that he isn’t beaten and that he’s still out there.
It's that reason why Death's whistle changes to a major key whereas before it was in a minor key.
@@JamesDavy2009 good find!
Exactly. That's what death is! If you manage to escape it after confronting it, it's never truly defeated, it just didn't catch you. It lurks in the real world for everyone to face.
He's really a good representation of a force of nature
I wanted death to actually beat him, but refuse to give the final blow, since he noticed puss finally wants to make the most of his life. Puss putting a fight makes you think people actually have a chance, when in reality death is absolutely innevitable, you dont have the slightest chance, so value your life.
Puss overcomes the character flaw that made Death hold him in contempt.
The scene when Puss got cut by Deaths sickle and felt fear for the first time gave me absolute CHILLS. And when Puss’ life started flashing before his eyes gave me goosebumps like I felt what Puss was feeling. This was by far the best animated villain I’ve ever seen.
His voice actor absolutely killed it, ever line from Death had weight to it
I am a grown adult. When I walked outside at night to take my dog out right after seeing the movie I was legitimately scared.Half of my brain was thinking “he’s literally a cartoon wolf” and the other half was outright scared. I had this uneasy feeling bordering on pure fear.
Exactely like after an horror movie when you go to the bed, after it you told you "that was just a movie, that was just a movie". But you are scared to meet a ghost.
A cartoon wolf scared me more than these generic copy n paste horror movies smh💀
@@mightguy3118 it rlly did😭
Thats sad actually lmao how are you a functional member of society 💀
@@happymexican9436 🤓
He's an amazing character. And not theoretically, poetically, metaphorically or figuratively or any fancy way like that. He's the best character from the Last Wish *Straight Up*
I love how everyone can quote this line verbatim. I guess it also shows how much of an impact he’s had.
@@elderfiend6295 He's just that good. Like, jesus h, what a villain.
I made this reference in my movie review video lol 😂
@@ghosttoast824 it's a damn good quote
Well he was metaphorically a supporting character, helping Puss let go of his self-obsession, get over his fear of death and value life. He just did it all in a badass way.
I love when shows/movies make “Death” like this. Not just super overpowered and arrogant/malevolent, but just some dude doing his job efficiently and precisely.
I wouldn't exactly call him a villain. Just a supernatural force that is punishing Puss for his carelessness and hubris.
Yeah, I totally get what you’re saying, a lot of people have been pointing that out in my comment section, and honestly it makes a lot of sense. Also, you’re the Mario Bros Z guy! My brother and I use to watch those growing up, thank you for creating a piece of my childhood! It’s an honor having you comment on my video and I hope you have a great day!
Death's attitude towards puss is also complex: on the one hand death's is enraged of puss being careless about his life because Death has probably seen souls who weren't as lucky as puss, so he basiclly had two goals that he will achieve anyway: ending the cat's nine lives, or teaching him the value of his last chance.
on the other hand Death is just having a good time humbelling a carless individual.
It is also a personal because puss laughs at the face of death, and death still gets the last laugh
Agreed. He is more of an antagonist that, exactly for being such a force of nature, stands out of the other antagonists of the movie, especially Jack Horner, who is a proper villain.
It's not exactly an inaccurate term for him though. My own two cents as to why he seems like a villain to others is because of his own admission that he enjoys the smell of fear from his "victims". It causes a sinister undertone. A true neutral antagonist would have been more apathetic to such things, like the original Death from the show, Supernatural. But to this world's Death, fear is intoxicating to him. He enjoys seeing his "prey" squirm and tremble once they realize that he was a being like no one they had ever encountered before, because that's precisely how Puss felt when he first met him.
Personally, this "villainous" side kinda makes him stand out more from the other typical villains in fiction, since unlike most of those villains who share the same sadistic tendencies, he isn't really delusional about it. Once he realized that Puss was no longer running from his own mortality and was even prepared to die, was only then he chose to no longer pursue him.
Like one other youtube comment said, had Death taken Puss' life at that moment, it would have been no longer a neutral act of self-indulgence, but instead, an act of theft. And while Death can be described by a lot things, he certainly isn't a thief, and certainly not one who would steal a life from someone who understands the true value of it.
Disagree. as much as he wants to humble puss he is going out of his way to end his life early out of spite and amusement. he is still definitely a villain
He isn’t just another big bad wolf, he’s literally a personification of death itself.
Death comes in many forms and for Puss, it’s a red eyed wolf.
Plus, that form may have been chosen deliberately- wasn’t there a red eyed wolf villain in the tv show?
@@myxolydianmode yes. The Blood Wolf.
@@myxolydianmode Also out of the many physical forms the personification of death is said to take, one of them is a white wolf with red eyes.
You mean a wolfonification
I think I liked the bar scene so much because the one thing I almost never see in a children's movie, especially animated? No matter how bad or injured a character gets, there is almost never blood. Just gave me chills seeing it come down puss's forehead.
true, and the fact that the blood isnt like splatting out or rapidly going down, it slowly flows down and when puss puts his paw on the wound the bleeding stops because that blood comes from a small scar
Gargoyles used blood in a few choice scenes for dramatic effect, including the premier episodes.
The way they deal with him is pretty meaningful too. Puss couldn’t kill him, but he could overcome him by accepting and facing him instead of running.
I never thought DreamWorks would hit the heights of Shrek 2 again. I was wrong. Masterpiece of a movie
Shrek 2 wasn’t that good. Shrek 1 and 4 were better.
@@MrCoffeeCrisp_ Shrek 1 and 2 were peak. 4? Nah
@@user-bq8ro4lj7b Shrek 1 > Shrek 4 > Shrek 2 > Shrek 3
@@user-bq8ro4lj7b there is no Shrek 4.
They were all good
That is honestly one of the reasons he's so terrifying in this film. Almost all villain's in the Shrek universe while obviously dangerous and evil, are often played with comedic sides and often have gags or jokes associated with them. Death however doesn't have that and is played completely menacing and threatening. This jarring dark tone in the usually more light heartened Shrek universe makes him stand out even more as it breaks audiences expectations for what he might do (like he's not going to trip on a banana he might actually kill Puss). I also respect their commitment to his terrifying persona, honestly they wouldn't even have to rewrite him to be right at home in an R rated thriller/horror movie really. That's a rare thing these days were studios tend to shy away from making things legitimately tense in family films.
He does end in a comedic way once he realizes Puss is no longer afraid of death, shouting out a bunch of funny Spanish lingo. I also think his voice would’ve been more intimidating if it wasn’t a family film, but the design and overall presence is surprisingly serious.
@@Alex_Logan22 But that was literally the only real joke that was made about him throughout the entire movie and it was right at the very end, thus "ruining" his menacing presence where it wasn't even needed anymore anyway, because by then Puss already won and Death no longer had a reason to come after him.
What he said was "Why the devil did I have to play with my food?", which isn't even a slew of funny Spanish swear words or anything. A perfectly reasonable sentence, a funny one- but a good one.
@@Victor_Graves
True, I was just pointing out the couple of elements that were most likely decided to keep him family friendly, without ruining his intent of course.
Absolutely spot on with this comment. Well articulated. Have always thought that about Dreamworks though; in comparison to Disney, they are very much more adult with their character development. Just as most anime isn't animation for "kids", Dreamworks at least is not _just_ for kids. They're not so afraid to be darker
Simply showing him actually kill someone with his blades is enough to put him in an R rated movie.
I like how he isn’t even evil, he’s just a force of nature who has a goal that conflicts with the main character. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object
The issue is, puss ISNT immovable. He just thinks he is- until he’s pushed. Then, all of a sudden, he doesn’t feel so safe anymore.
That term has been overused way too many times 😒 come up with something original next time kid.
@@xRonSKiiSpeeD bro why u gettin so salty in a video essay comment XD
@@chillarmyssbu Just stick to Pokémon reviews ok 🤡 kids have no respect these days.. smh. 😒
@@xRonSKiiSpeeD Lol who you callin kid smh smh doubt you couldnt have done anything better
Something I noticed on my 2nd time viewing, when Death whistles at Puss when stalking him, it is in a very minor, dark theme. However, once Puss starts valuing his life again, and Death leaves Puss alone, he exits with a slightly more major theme in his whistle.
HOW MUCH ATTENTION TO DETAIL CAN DREAMWORKS HAVE?
It's amazing.
I'm not an expert so I'm probably wrong, but I would say that when he stalks is in a minor scale and a major scale when he leaves puss alone.
Dreamworks is finally popping off
I really feel like death could become the next Darth Vader. He just needs to become more iconic without being given to much screen time. I think he's so intimidating because he barely shows up yet I could feel his presence throughout the whole movie.
Death is Gaunter O'Dimm from Witcher 3
Something that truly sells Death for me is how the animation succeeds in telling us visually how viscerally afraid Puss is of him. The way Puss’s fur stands on end when realizing he’s terrified of dying made my jaw drop. It was stunningly animated, and even though I’m not an animator, I’m aware of how difficult fur is to animate/render much less to portray character acting with it. The movie did a great job translating the characteristics of a cat with Puss, which was usually meant to portray cuteness, but they cleverly used it to portray the fight or flight of felines.
"How difficult fur is to animate"
Bruh. Monsters Inc came in 2001. At this point, animating fur is a piece of cake
Not to mention the detail with Puss' eyes!
Cats show a decent amount of emotion in their eyes, and the way that Puss' pupils would slit in fear along with his fur raising whenever Death showed up was awesome
And then you compare it to his eyes at the end of their final fight, his pupils are dilated and he's confident and happy with what he's done
The Wolf is an intimidating and fearsome character/villain both in personality and design. His whistle is the tune or a few notes from the Funeral March. But the thing that proves his level of badass is the bar fight in which Puss in Boots actually bleeds representing his vulnerability or mortality. The last time I saw a DreamWorks movie showing blood was the Prince of Egypt or Road to El Dorado. He is on the same level as Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2
i really don't consider death to be a villian and more like a tough, but fair neutral character
Yes! Both Death and Lord Shen have the most intimidating psycho eyes in animated history
There is also the fact that its impact is amplified with the context of how puss 'n boots boasts about how he was never touched by a blade. He never was touched by a blade and thus, never knew how it felt, but that changed in that very moment. For the first time, he felt the cold steel going across his body, the pain felt as it opens his flesh...the blood dripping from his wound, and now, he knows the fear a blade can instill.
@Fea†her OH HE TAUGHT HIM ALRIGHT.
I know, it's so rare to see blood in animated features because aNimAtIon iS foR kiDs. This movie earned it's rating with minimal try hard pushing (that is to say there still was some.)
“Men don’t fear a sword… they fear a monster” that line 🥶
The whole character is the embodiment of "Memento Mori" in its purest, most original form: "Remember, you will die." A cold, hard truth designed to humiliate warriors who come off high from their success in battle.
I think the best scene was during the fight in the forest. Puss gets a panic attack and runs. so Perito follows, you can hear how loud the heart beats are and the drowning out of the voices around him. best part right here. Perito puts his hear on Puss's lap and he starts petting him and his breathing starts to return to normal. I had a few tears, but someone was crying like 2 rows down. 10/10 movie.
I deffinitely cried when mama bear says they'll get Goldie her wish even if they're not a part of it😭 then again when she gave up on her wish to save the 🐻 and finally realized that they are her family. This movie is so good!! Best animated movie in ages.
Great moment. Will argue it’s a panic attack, not a heart attack.
Definitely not a heart attack, a panic attack. But yes, cried a little myself.
@@mikeg8276 fixed it!
That part is also my favorite scene. Because it felt like the sound design except for the whistle was ripped from a Spider sense scene in NWH. Both movies do a great job in shifting the tone btw
I love how in the Cave of Lost Souls, Death lets Puss run away. He encourages Puss to flee, because he knows it won't matter in the end. That's also true to real wolves, their whole strategy is to scare their prey into running, with the goal of tiring the prey out so they can't fight back when the wolves inevitably catch up.
1) Not another "surprise villain"
2) Has clear motivation
3) Inevitable
Choice was really great
yes
Every time death did his whistle, it gave my wife & I chills. He was such an amazing character. The part where he put the coins on his eyes when he stared down Puss was the best scene, especially since in mythology, you need two gold coins to pay the toll into the after life.
SPOILERS
I really liked the end of the conflict between him and Puss. Especially the part where Death is walking off and then stops for a moment and double checks to make sure Puss values his life
“You know we will meet again, right?”
And Puss passes.
“Si, hasta la muerte.”
They come to a mutual respect for each other and it’s done without undermining Death’s presence or significance. It’s beautiful and also rlly funny when he starts cursing in Spanish lol. He’s easily the best antagonist of the Shrek universe and top 3 DreamWorks antagonists period along with Tai Lung and Lord Shen. I truly hope we see him again someday maybe in Shrek 5 as a little cameo
I never in my life believe a movie could be both light and funny with Perrito 🐕 and dark and gritty with Death. 10/10 Masterpiece
but what did he say in spanish
@@ItsYaGirlMarvelous the end I think he said something like " I shouldn't have played with my food""
Tai Lung and Shen are amazing. Kai was a little corny but was kinda cool.
I agree with you completely! This wolf was amazing
translation: yes, until death
"...there's the hat, the feather, the cape, and of course...the boots. My compliments to your cobbler."
Fun fact: if you have a good eye for detail, you can notice that death was there from the VERY START of the movie, during the fight against the giant, when the crowd cheers after puss says "fear me if you dare", you can spot him amongst the crowd just standing there on the left side
I still feel the sense of dread whenever I hear that whistle, truly insane.
It was such a great motif, already iconic in my eyes. Everytime we heard it I got the same hair raising chilling reaction Puss got. So good.
I love how death was only after him cause he wanted to use the last wish to cheat death. Once he decides to change his wish death no longer has to stop him.
I don’t think that’s why. Cat had used his first 8 lives, and now was going to use his last one in meaningless stuff, without fear of death. Death was tired of him and just decided to make things faster. Cat only gets free from it (temporarily) once he humbly accepts that he’ll eventually die, and fights for his last life instead of running
It was more about him finally understanding the value of his life
I mean, Puss only decided to use the last wish for more lives after death made his presence known. Death just wanted to see an arrogant "legend" fall to his knees and acknowledge his unability to defeat death. That's the reason death eventually lets him live, because he doesn't see the arrogant dude who thinks he can escape and overcome any situation anymore, he just sees some normal guy, fighting for his life with passion. Thereby spoiling the fun of psychologically beating Puss into a pulp.
bro did you even watch the movie, because what you just said is blatantly wrong
one of my favorite details that my friend pointed out about the Wolf is that when we see the map to the star, we never see him on it. even after we know he's for sure in the dark forest with them, we never see an icon for him on the map. i thought that was amazing when my friend told me that. i'll be watching this movie for years to come and it's mostly because of the little details like that
Damn, I never noticed that either 😮
If you didn't catch that the first time, then maybe you shouldn't be watching movies kid.
@@xRonSKiiSpeeD Ease off. There will always be new blood to witness new things. Don't hate on them just because they haven't accumulated the same knowledge as you.
@@greedybaron6042 I’m sorry, but who are you and why should I care? There’s a clear difference between knowledge and common sense. You lack both and cleary aren’t smart enough to know the difference either.
@@xRonSKiiSpeeD mate your profile pic says everything i need to know about you
I also love how his eye pupil changes to white whenever he hits his blades or anything. It really adds to his scariness as well
Death is menacing, sinister, and sadistic but you've got to admit, his smiles are so freaking cute!
He's very affable, and to get the feeling that he actually is impressed by Puss' death-defying stunts.
It's how careless Puss in Boots is about death that gets him.
@@hariman7727 Agreed 💯
Death is the best and scariest DreamWorks villain because he’s not a fairytale character. He’s not a creation of DreamWorks. He’s a real life villain that none of us can escape.
The best villain? Nah Shen >>>
Damn bro this sends shivers for real 😬😬because its true
You're highly exaggerating and using a terrible analogy for death but ok. 🤷🏻♂
@@xRonSKiiSpeeD Explain?
Even if it is not mentioned in fairy tales, death is in them since it is something natural if you take into account that the characters in fairy tales are mortal.
I love how they didn't "kids movie" this character giving him some funny silly quirk like most animated kids movies usually do with their antagonists. He's just menacing and damn scary from start to finish. Amazing design, great acting (from a Brazilian actor nonetheless VAI BRASIL), incredible character.
This feels more like it kids show out of the 80s, where the villains were monsters and civilians died and things were horrifying the kids made it through fine because there was a happy ending.
This movie treats kids better than a lot of r-rated movies treat adult audiences.
I think the best part of puss' character development was him learning real courage. Before literal death came after him, he was fearless because he had extra lives meaning he could do whatever he wanted and still come back from the dead if worse case scenario occurred. But now that he is down to his last life, he values it a million times more than the previous lives, and despite that, he still learned real courage in the face of danger
in the end, I was so worried they were gonna make death some comedic side-character after Puss has his realization. I'm so happy they didn't and kept Death who he really is. A simple and terrifying force of nature.
The great thing about this villain is that it’s not the voice that makes him scary nor the whistle. It’s the presentation and the thought that the people behind the scenes put into him. The way he looks, moves, his outfit, and the incredible eye presentation in the flashes of lights. We remember the joker because heath ledger put on a performance of a life time. These animators, developers, and producers absolutely deserve so much praise for how spot on perfect this villain is.
We remember the joker because he has been iconic lol
@@bottomtier3823 He's only iconic because of Heath Ledger. Jack Nicholson wouldn't have had the same performance, and god forbid Jared Leto be let anywhere near the role.
PRESENTATION
@@celestialdancer6293 sorry but the animated version of joker is the reason joker is who joker is. Voice by mark hamill, Luke skywalker and I know I’m misspelling his last name, is an amazing voice actor I only wish and dream could be like. I would love to voice a character one day and it become iconic but it’s a team in animation. Heath ledger did amazing as a live adaptation but it’s the animation jokers and video game jokers we all think of, remember and love.
During the first fight scene with death it starts off as casual and just another fight for puss to win, but when death grabs puss the music stops and you can see the fear of death set in.
Death: *grabs Puss*
*Fiesta music stops*
I think they picked the perfect voice actor for death. His voice just slaps in a way u can’t describe
Man, this movie was amazing!
Death as a whole was executed perfectly in this movie, never thought a wolf could make such an amazing death!
I agree big time that Death had one's attention even when he was off screen. When I watched the film and didn't know the wolf was Death itself, I was still terrified because after each sequence I was like "Where's that ghostly wolf?", the fact he appeared so little adds more to his terror, he really grabs your attention and overall, you can't get more terror when it's Death manifested and lurking. Every time he appeared, I felt goosebumps my hair rise like Puss did, that says enough.
honestly i am so happy i went into this movie not knowing he was death. i was completely subverted as to what he would be and whenever he showed up i felt extremely tense
That's why I wish the movie didn't explicitly say he is Death and left it to interpretation
I'm so proud of Wagner Moura (the actor who voices the wolf). As a brazilian is so nice to see one of our biggest actors shine even more (for those who don't know him, he was in Narcos)
Pablo Escobar Yeeesss fits him perfectly
He did a great job too
Whenever he shows up for significant parts, it's when Puss is facing or surrounded by reflections. The first thing Death does is pick up a glass showing the reflection of Puss. Really powerful motif.
As a Brazilian, when I found out that Wagner Moura was the voice actor for Death, I was overjoyed. Moura is such a good actor and deserves to be recognized for his work more. He's been in so many roles that he played so incredibly well, like Pablo Escobar in the Narcos Netflix series, and Captain Neto in both Elite Squad movies, The Magnificent Seven. He's definitely a national treasure
Why is no one talking about the best canine in the movie....perrito! He's like the polar opposite of death which is another aspect of the film that's so great and thought out.... Death the big bad wolf who haunts puss....perrito a smol cute pup who befriends puss
Good point! Lol 😂
@@ghosttoast824 I do enjoy my villains though 👍
Also they are similar in that they both really appreciate life. Like:
Perrito: Enjoy your only life :D
Wolf: OR ELSE 💀
@@ghosttoast824 please do an analysis of Perrito 🐕. I never thought in my life a movie can be both funny and cool yet still be dark and gritty. THEY BALANCE ⚖️ THESE TWO SO WELL.
And adding to the fact the Perrito himself had a brush with death when he's just a pup (Sock and River story 😭)
My favorite part is that it's a foe. Who Puss can't beat.thus FORCING him to come to terms with his mortality as death will always come for Puss No matter what and Puss has to accept that for him to finally live a real meaningful life.
they even made the wolfs sound cue his whistling because of his fairy tale story of blowing down the pigs houses. He's one of the best animated villains of all time along with Tai Lung from Kung fu Panda
But he isn’t the big bad wolf. Like he says in the movie he is just death. The literal force of nature. The whistle is a reference to south american customs.
with the context of the final fight, you can always see his intentions with every interaction. He was after the Immortal Legend, and seeing that "legend" run from him in complete fear gave enough reason to not just kill him on the spot.
I also liked that in the end, Puss didn't end up beating this foe through the power of friendship or something. Death saw him change his ways and let him go, not exempting him from his fate but willing to hold off the early sentencing.
I love that this character is getting a lot of love. There’s even another channel who posted a similar video as to why the Wolf was so captivating. He truly was so perfectly done!
Im a sucker for characters like this. No joke.
The heavy symbolism, the incredible character design, and the ability to be absolutely menacing and threatening without having to put on some crazy show. He's literally terrifying just by _existing_ because he is straight up DEATH.
And this movie really sells it to you that he will follow you, he will stalk you, and he will try his dang best to take your life if he sees it fit. Which is so wild and scary, but I LOVE how this movie portrays him! He's definitely my new favorite antagonist!
He is the ultimate villain. Even Thanos feels like a joke to him, pushing a twisted “heroic” rhetoric and seeking peace, in a way. This wolf however sought nothing but pure fear and death, literally straight up.
Death seems like more of a mentor than a villain. Without him Puss would never have learned to cherish life. If the story were from the perspective of Death then this would be Puss's redemption arc.
I want to see more of the Wolf. The problem is given his identity, the character is only good when used minimally otherwise, like if too many characters died in a story, he loses impact.
I could imagine him showing up again in another movie during a near-death experience. Like Puss is on death's door and Death is there waiting for him they talk for a bit and then Death just says that they're going to have to wait a little longer for the rematch before Puss comes back from the edge.
I can see him showing up as a very minor character in like a cameo appearance in shrek 5. Though i cant really think of a reason for him to be there.
He would be great as a blink-or-you-miss-it background character when someone dies
@@TheSpaceCommunist yeah, but that’s not really what the concept of death in puss in boots is supposed to be
@@Igarappappa Puss enacts a heroic sacrifice to save Kitty, so Kitty gives up her 8th life so both have 1 life left in Shrek 5.
He as death fr had enough of the mc's plot armor and decided to go after him himself
This is the best addition to the SCU (Shrek cinematic universe) since Shrek 2 and I would go as far as to say it surpasses even that
The fact that he wasn't played for laughs was a very big thing, not a lot of villains in family friendly cartoons are taken so seriously... I mean they needed the other two groups of villains to balance out his serious nature.
I would seriously hope the Academy looks at this movie. I would give it a Best Picture, screenplay, and cinematography nod. Also the academy desperately needs to open a VA category.
I didn't expect this movie to be nearly as good as it was. Jack Horner was already a great a-hole villain and Goldilocks and the three bears was a fun opposition.
But Death Wolf is just a great show of show not tell. We don't even know he is death till later in the movie and just see him as some bounty hunter. I even loved how at the end, he is defeated not by puss winn8ng against death forever, just Death losing the fun he wanted in ending an egotistical puss who laughed at death, and just accepting he will have to wait for puss at the end, like all things.
Also, in the montage of Puss losing his lives you can see Death in the scenes. He's not out in the open, but instead in the shadows and blending in with the crowd. The fact that I don't think a lot of people knew this just makes the wolf more terrifying for me.
I love how he is everywhere. That represents both the fact that death (the concept, not the character) is always just around the corner, always getting closer, and how anxiety is anywhere and you can feel it no matter how hard you try to escape from it, that just makes it stronger
The reason wolf is feared is because he is death and knows when it’s time for you to die. People fear death because they don’t know what it is and what happens after. Puss realizes this and fears the wolf because the wolf is a character that doesn’t have much information. A stranger? A bounty hunter? It’s the questions racing through your mind on what death is that makes it terrifying as it can happen so quickly but also very slowly.
I’m just glad they didn’t end up turning him into a really good guy or trying to add in some dumb joke with him at the end, he truly is scary and that’s how your supposed to do it
His presence is awesome. Originality and character 10/10
Puss: "Death is after me"
Kitty: "death is after all of us"
Puss: "No! he is LITERALLY after me!!!"
Villains with respect are pretty cool but also the fact that they are truly undefeatable is also another fact and their dark appearance makes them truly chilling especially when puss is actually fearful for the first time because this character was the closest thing to ever killing him which in turn gives him anxiety and I fear of death something a lot of fear which is a pretty damn mature point of drama for a kids movie but it was handled so well to the point where it is just it's almost perfectly balanced it's pretty amazing(BTW DEFINITELY NOT THE BEST VILLAIN EVER) but still a pretty damn cool one overall good review
Yeah, he’s not the best villain ever, but I definitely think he is one of the best villains I’ve ever seen, and at least one of the best animated villains ever
@@ghosttoast824 they don't make villains in at least kids' animated films like this as they used to there are a lot of old movies with some of the most badass villains out there I can't really remember because they were long back but they were sick tbh i think they some of them were adult animes or animated 3d films but its refreshing to see at least a kid's animated movie with a new badass villain can't wait for more because sure as hell know there need to be some joker Anton Chigurh type villains being introduced in kids movies in really done well-balanced scenes are else it turns overdone or just generic ass trash BTW unrelated but if you want to take a chance at a truly horrifying and disgustingly brutal film watch man behind the sun watched it yesterday some traumatizing stuff there
I think out of villians that play a role of a unstoppable force he is definitely a S tier one. Maybe A tier, im tired and am having trouble thinking of ones that are way better and play a similar role
I agree, though I would say this isn't even just made for kids, and can be enjoyed equally by all ages. I think in the western world we often synonymise 'animation' with 'for kids', unlike in places like Japan. However people in the industry are pushing to change this mentality recently, eg. in Guillermo Del Toro's recent speech where he says “animation is not a genre for kids, it’s a medium”. I think this is really important to note. A movie being animated does not automatically mean it's made for children.
I almost wish the final fight ended with him congratulating Puss on finding a reason to live (almost like the entire chase was a test)...but watching him gets salty and lave reluctantly was cool too
Respectfully death was on a whole different level, that man was insanely powerful and I don’t believe that Puss would be able to run the fade with a death that’s ACTUALLY trying.
His weapons even reflect what Death is too. A sickle is used to reap crops that have peaked and grown to the edge of their life.
Yeah and near the end of his last fight when he connected the sickles together it literally looked exactly like Grim Reapers sickle, except it had one on too and on the bottom
The whistle he makes has no right to be that good, seriously. I just can't recall any time a character was able to just completely change the atmosphere of the theatre (making the audience afraid - me included) with just a *_whistle_* . He wasn't even on screen yet and I could feel the exact same fear Puss had, what a well written character.
Just saw the movie today and dang, every scene with death put me on end. He’s such an intimidating foe and his reasons for going after Puss made sense and I’m happy it wasn’t just about the wishing star.
This guy was daunting. Genuinely menacing and his presence was constantly felt when he was on screen. Loved how he stalked Puss throughout
This character sums up the idea of death very well. It can be gentle, respectful or even kind but it can also be brutal, cold and unforgiving
I saw this earlier today and immediately had this video pop up, and I completely agree with all the points here. Almost immediately from his first scene I pieced together that he was a personification of death (from the candle blowing out to him just... appearing), but I didn't know that he would *literally* be death itself. The other villains were great, but the fact that death himself created such anxiety at every waking moment because you never know when he would next appear made him so memorable. And at the end of the day, I think the most chilling part of it all was that there was no anger, hate, or any other hot emotion in his character. He was cold, cool, patient, detached, and slow and inexorable as death itself. After all, no one escapes death in the end.