Parents' Guide to

The True Story of Puss 'n Boots

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Truly awful version of the classic fairy tale.

Movie NR 2011 79 minutes
The True Story of Puss 'n Boots Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 5 parent reviews

KnightFall
KnightFall Adult
October 13, 2021
age 18+

Saw this 10 years ago and I'm still pissed off

I was in school when we got told that we were going to see puss in boots at the cinema and we all went under the assumption that it was the good one. It was not. We all got clickbaited the hardest that I've ever been clickbaited. One kid got sent home because he was so outraged. Pretty sure I blacked out because the only thing I remember is the open picture where the so called "puss" popped up and thats all I remember. I put the age 18+ for it becauee no one should see this and that is the highest age I could go. I am still mourning the loss of time I got from this.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Dan S.
Dan S. Parent of 0 and 8-year-old
March 20, 2016
age 5+

Less entertaining then the stomach flu

I once had a piece of glass stuck in my eye, that experience was more fun then this movie. I begged my 8 year old to shut if off, I think he may have been keeping it on as long as he did just to torture me. The animation looked like a video game cut scene on a 3DO, the voice acting was horrific. The character design was a bizarre mix of big headed and big butted people. I suspect that the English script was created by putting the original French script into google translate and just hitting "I feel lucky". My 8 year old boy described it as Puss and Boots mixed with Barbie(the single greatest insult an 8 year old boy can use to describe a movie). It made my one year old cry. It made me cry!! Showing this movie to people may be considered torture and a war crime! Other activities more enjoyable then watching this movie; Playing hit Dad in the crotch with a baseball bat, Cleaning a toilet, Poisonous snake juggling, Explaining the birds and the bees to a 6 year old, Ebola, A Zombie Apocalypse
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The miller's youngest son is in love with a beautiful princess. When the miller dies and leaves the boy only a saucy cat in red leather boots, his chances with the girl of his dreams are dim. But the cat has other plans. He conspires and swindles, cajoles and sweet-talks his way into the royal court with the lowly miller's son in tow, only to encounter the evil forces of The Chamberlain and The Ogre who have other plans for the beautiful lass.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (11):

Loosely based on the Charles Perrault fairy tale, everything about this film is sub-standard. Nothing is original, clever, or memorable. William Shatner's falsetto, improvisational performance as Puss will disappoint even his most loyal fans.

The story as rewritten is not easy to follow. Characters are sent on missions that have no purpose. People appear in unlikely places and disappear without explanation. The iconic cat seems to have no magical powers and certainly has no charm. An effort has been made to update this story with a modern-day princess and modern dance moves, but since nothing else has been modernized, it's a wasted effort. There is really nothing at all to recommend this sorry version of the classic story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why fairy tales appeal to kids. Why is it fun to imagine magical places where wishes come true and everything ends happily ever after? What are your favorites?

  • Lots of fairy tales are known for their "helpers," like fairy godmothers and animals. Other than Puss 'n Boots, who are some of the best known of these helpers? What do they do for their masters and what do they have in common?

Movie Details

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