By "today's standards," I guess I can understand why other user reviews might be so disdainful. However, compared to the "canned" and typical story lines of most kids' movies, this version of Puss 'n Boots was (and still is) a nice change-of-pace. Yes, it would be nice if the female characters had more input/spunk, if there were no reference to "being nude," and no violence. Despite those drawbacks, it is still a pretty good film.
I used to work with Kindergarten - 2nd-graders (in an after-school/daycare setting), and this was one of their FAVORITE movies to watch. The clever irreverence of Puss is juxtaposed against an exaggerated simpleness/ignorance of the human characters, making it clear who the "Hero" of the story is. The ways he "solves" problems is James-Bond-esqe (complete with music alluding to this reference). While it is true the characters are not superbly deep/complicated, that is exactly why the kids liked this movie so much -- it spoke to THEIR sense of humor, spunk, and desire for "adventure." Character depth, in an animated kids' movie, is a relatively new phenomena (probably intended to keep the accompanying adults entertained). The "lack" of it does not indicate a poor-quality movie, given its INTENDED audience...
The animation IS different -- deliberately so. The mix of typical cell animation with computer digitization offers a visually intriguing style that doesn't have the typical run-of-the-mill appearance. All the kids I watched this movie with liked the colors used, and the "blocky/wavy" appearance of the characters. It WASN'T what they were used to seeing, so it caught (and kept) their attention.
Over the course of seven years (2000-2007), this movie continued to be one of the top favorites of the kids I worked with, despite all the new-style Disney films available. Sure, they liked those too. But this particular one (in addition to "The Scarecrow," 2000) had a "vibe" that kept the kids asking for it again and again.
I would caution those (adults) who are giving it bad reviews -- please remember that this was created and intended for a CHILD/young audience. Every child I observed watching this movie REALLY enjoyed the experience. Note, of course, these were school-aged children. Not sure it's really intended for toddlers (who have a notoriously short attention span...)
