One of my favorite characters in the “Shrek” franchise has been the irresistible feline Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas.

Now fans of the swashbuckling furball get a chance to see the cat take center stage with his own film, “Puss in Boots,” the fifth entry in the “Shrek” franchise. While it’s not quite up to the level of the first two “Shrek” films, it is still a step above the last two entries.

A prequel of sorts, “Puss in Boots” follows the title character on a quest with long-lost friend Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and his new assistant, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). Puss and Humpty have been searching for magic beans that, when planted, will lead to golden eggs in the sky.

When the trio learn that Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) have the beans in their possession, they set out to steal them and realize their dream of retrieving the golden eggs.

“Puss in Boots” has the same style and structure as the “Shrek” franchise, yet at the same time, stands on its own. You don’t have to be familiar with “Shrek” at all to appreciate the humor and characters.

Banderas is delightful, proving this is a character that can carry a film. I also enjoyed Galifianakis’ rather layered take on Humpty Dumpty, while Thornton and Sedaris give comically dark turns as Jack and Jill – turning them into a pair of evil country bumpkins.

Writers Tom Wheeler, David H. Steinberg and Brian Lynch keep the film zipping along for the most part, balancing humor that plays to the kids as well as adults.

The movie starts to feel a little long in the final stretch and could lose about 10 minutes and still be effective. Still, I enjoyed “Puss in Boots” a lot. I think it opens the door for further chapters, and also proves that, if done properly, a spin-off can work.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is “Tabloid” (A-), the fascinating documentary from Errol Morris about former Miss Wyoming Joyce McKinney and her quest for love that made her a tabloid sensation in the late 1970s.

McKinney made headlines after she fell in love with a young Mormon named Kirk Anderson and allegedly abducted Anderson while he was on a mission in London.

According to McKinney, Anderson left with her willingly and they had agreed to get married. Anderson claimed she tried to seduce him and then raped him.

This documentary is essentially a first-person account from McKinney, with minor players in the incident allowed to fill in the blanks. Anderson was asked to take part in the project, but declined.

Even though “Tabloid” is McKinney heavy, the film still manages to present arguments for and against her version of events. Was she really this lovesick woman shunned by the man of her dreams? Or was she a crazy stalker?

I think she might be a little bit of both, which is what makes the whole thing so compelling.

“Tabloid” does slip a bit in the final act when we learn how McKinney managed to find the media spotlight again later in life, but it is a minor setback.

This is documentary filmmaking at its finest, featuring the kind of story that you wouldn’t believe if it weren’t true.

“Tabloid” is rated R for sexual content and nudity and is now available on DVD.

— To get sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton’s up-to-the minute thoughts on all things movies, visit his blog at mcompton.wordpress.com or his Twitter page at twitter.com/ mcompton428. You can also email him at mcompton@bgdailynews.com.