The “Shrek” movies may not even exist as far we’re concerned in “Puss in Boots,” which is fine, because they just kept getting worse; last year’s “Shrek Forever After,” in 3-D, felt especially flat. But the franchise reboots anew here, if you’ll pardon the pun, with great energy, creativity and aplomb. This spin-off is actually a prequel, providing the origin story of the diminutive, swashbuckling kitty voiced with great charisma, as always, by Antonio Banderas.

At the film’s start, Puss is an outlaw in his own small, Spanish hometown. Flashbacks take us to his childhood at an orphanage, where he was best friends with a brainy, ambitious Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Together, the two dreamed of stealing the magic beans, climbing the beanstalk and getting rich off some golden eggs. Now, that crime has become Humpty’s obsession; he tries to enlist Puss as the brawn of the operation, which would allow both to enjoy some redemption.