Puss in Boots

Beautifully voiced by Antonio Banderas, Puss in Boots is to ‘Shrek’ what Jack Sparrow is to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ – a rogueish, charismatic scene-stealer who belongs centre stage. This spin-off – effectively a prequel – sees outlaw Puss returning to rural Spain, where he joins childhood friend Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and feisty feline Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) in an attempt to steal the magic beans from Jack and Jill and find the goose that laid the golden egg.

The plot is drawn out and lacks emotional impact: the whole trip up the beanstalk feels like filler. But plenty of irresistible set pieces have charm to spare, whether it’s a cat dance-off in a seedy barn or a flashback to Puss’s youth when he is – cute alert! – a huge-eyed little kitten. As ever, much of the humour mixes anthropomorphism with well-observed reminders of Puss’s feline status: watch him lap up a hard shot of milk with glee. ‘Puss in Boots’ is uneven, but when it’s on course, cat fans will be in heaven.