Shrek 2 character Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). While the Shrek franchise had a good headstart, by the time Shrek 3 rolled around, there were noticeable differences in the quality that audiences couldn't put a finger on.
While Puss in Boots was hot on its heels, receiving a theatrical release in 2011 when Shrek 4 went straight to home video. Despite Puss in Boots receiving middling reviews, studios decided to revisit the character with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish slightly over a decade later. The sequel has done well enough so far, but what's more exciting about it is that the Puss in Boots 2 ending sets the stage for Shrek 5 — and what happens could fix the franchise's biggest fatal flaw that caused the later movies to take a nosedive.
Puss In Boots 2 Sets Up A Solid Shrek Franchise Change
The biggest problem the later Shrek installments faced is that they became all about Shrek, and what was once an ensemble effort slowly turned into a solo gig. The Puss in Boots 2 ending, which looks markedly different from Shrek, sees Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and Perrito (Harvey Guillén) steal a ship to sail back to Far Far Away in order to reunite with some old friends. This openly hints at the fact that these three strong characters will make an appearance in Shrek 5. Puss in Boots loyally stayed in the Shrek franchise from Shrek 2 onward, but his bombastic character became more and more muted over time, in favor of the ogre getting extra screen time.
Ultimately this means that Shrek 5 could be set up to bring back stronger characters for its fifth go around. Shrek brought tons of well-known fairy tale characters to life, and it was hard to imagine that the sequel could top a villain like John Lithgow's Lord Farquaad. However, Shrek 2 upped the ante by bringing the evil Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) and Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) into the mix. By the time Shrek 3 came out, however, it was clear that the franchise had become more Shrek-focused, and some of the fan-favorite characters established in earlier films had taken a back seat.
The Best Shrek Movies Were Never Just About Shrek
While Shrek is a great character, which is clear considering how successful the franchise became, he works better as an everyman alongside a more out-there ensemble cast. Yes, the movies were always about the big green ogre, but plenty of other lovable characters, like Shrek's Donkey or Puss in Boots were given their own character moments and arcs alongside him. Watching the grumpy giant interact with these larger-than-life characters while trying to find his place in Far Far Away is what made the Shrek franchise great. Shrek would be incomplete without lines like "not my gumdrop buttons!" or Donkey's incessant singing.
By bringing strong characters like Puss in Boots back to Far Far Away, it means that Shrek 5 could go back to its roots and feature a strong ensemble cast. This would arguably fix where the franchise lost itself along the way, allowing Shrek to be surrounded by characters that made the first few movies great. Shrek 3 and onward taught studios that the film series can't be successful focusing on the ogre alone, and that there are other elements necessary to repeat the magic of the first films. Thankfully Shrek 5 in the right direction.
