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Directed by Cal Brunker, “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” is truly fun, perfect entertainment for the whole family. For kids, it’s 90 minutes of fun and adventure alongside an adorable group of furry friends. And for the parents, it will likely result in a trip to the store to buy their child a new lunchbox with their favorite dog’s face plastered on the front.
As Batman is to Gotham, PAW Patrol are the superheroes of Adventure City. And when resident mad scientist Victoria Vance (Taraji P. Henson) starts plotting to capture meteors from the sky and harness their extraterrestrial power for a nefarious purpose, group leader Ryder (Finn Lee-Epp) and his seven super pups must work together to protect the city and take her down. “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” knows exactly who its audience is and spends every minute of its runtime making sure that each kid who comes to the theater will leave with a smile on their face.
Where “PAW Patrol” is especially successful is in its self-awareness of its core identity as an ensemble movie. Depending on their upbringing, the average young adult can probably remember which Disney princess, Power Ranger, or Bikini Bottom resident was their favorite as a child. When a child is presented with an assortment of characters, they will naturally choose one to fixate on and identify with. And as long as this special, resonant character can exist for every child who watches a movie, that film will be successful. “PAW Patrol” understands this truth, and uses it to its advantage.
Not including Ryder, the story’s single human protagonist, the film centers on seven dogs — each of which has its own unique color palette and special abilities. And when they’re not serving as superheroes, they each have their own job. Skye is a pilot, Zuma (Nylan Parthipan) does water rescue, Chase (Christian Convery) is the police dog, Rocky (Callum Shoniker) is the recycling pup, Rubble (Luxton Handspiker) works in construction, Marshall (Christian Corrao) is the fire dog, and Liberty (Marsai Martin) is the newest member still trying to find her own angle. Each is also represented by a color, making each pup clearly distinguishable from the others. These simple ingredients are all that “PAW Patrol” really needs to be a resonant and exciting ensemble film for children.
One pup in particular especially pulls on the audience’s heartstrings. Skye (Mckenna Grace) was born as the runt of her litter. When the film finds her, she is the smallest member of the PAW Patrol, and it makes her feel inadequate in the group. As Ryder tells her early on, though, “all pups grow at their own speed.” Being a kid can be hard, and the feeling of being small is something that a lot of children struggle with. Skye continues to work through her feelings of inadequacy throughout the film and, after having it told to her countless times, eventually accepts and champions the film’s central assertion that “no pup is too small.” This film wants its young audience members to know that, no matter how small they may feel sometimes, they can do and be whatever they want.
“PAW Patrol” also teaches the young viewer the importance of teamwork. As mentioned before, each dog has its own specialty. A key component of the film’s storyline is the fact that the pups are able to gain superpowers from crystals that they source from a fallen asteroid. Much like the infinity stones of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these crystals are incredibly powerful on their own — and immeasurably stronger when used together. In the same sense, although every member of the PAW Patrol is special in their own way, they still need each other's help to take down bad guys and keep Adventure City safe, and their powerful gems are used to emphasize this. They remind each kid watching that it’s completely normal and not at all shameful to need help every now and then.
“PAW Patrol” is a movie for children, and must be treated as such. It is not a cinematic masterpiece or a life-changing piece of art. In fact, it’s not something that anyone over the age of 12 would be likely to enjoy very much. But that’s not what it was meant to do. This film was meant to cater to children, their interests, their everyday thoughts and feelings, and, of course, their parents’ bank accounts. It gives young audience members the fun of a group of characters from which they can choose their favorite, a reminder about confidence and believing in themselves, and a lesson in teamwork. If there are any parents looking for a new movie to take their kids to, “PAW Patrol” would be a great choice.
