Director: Cal Brunker
Writers: Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen
Stars: McKenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin
Synopsis: A magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City and gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups
Whether you wanted one or not, a sequel to PAW Patrol: The Movie is here in PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Reviewing a movie like this is always daunting, as its target audience isn’t adult moviegoers but small children. However, children can’t roam free on their own in the theater. Their parents are quasi-forced to sit through the film and enjoy (or endure) what’s in front of them while their kids are distracted by the colors and bright animation on the screen. Most animated movies these days are indeed distractions. Small children will enjoy how pretty it looks, but those looking for a deeper message or at least something to grasp won’t get much out of them. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie is no different. However, it is far superior to the first movie.
Part of the reason why it’s a better movie has to do with the fact that the PAW Patrol become full-fledged superheroes, with a meteor carrying magical crystals giving each respective member of the crew superpowers: Skye (Mckenna Grace), for example, can fly, while Chase (Christian Convery) can travel at super-speed. It plucks powers from the Justice League and Fantastic Four. It wraps them into the Mighty Pups, where the team now has to go after Victoria Vance (Taraji P. Henson), who wants to steal the crystal for her gain, and Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo), who returns from the first film to exact his revenge on the PAW Patrol.
As you can see, the plot is not very sophisticated, and one doesn’t expect it to be with a film titled PAW Patrol. But the film contains more than enough compellingly crafted action sequences to at least mildly entertain adults and blow away small children’s minds. One kid sitting in front of me was at his first movie and couldn’t believe the scenes where Skye could destroy meteors with the power of flight or when Chase dodged Vance’s electroshocks in bullet-time fashion. Did I expect to see visual references from The Matrix in a PAW Patrol movie? Absolutely not. Nor did I see an Olivia Rodrigo needle drop coming within one of the first action sequences that reintroduce audiences to the world – and team – that comprise the PAW Patrol.
These elements make the film surprisingly off-kilter, with enough direct references to appease adults. At the same time, kids get their first exposure to what the power of cinema can achieve. Of course, the story isn’t at all developed convincingly. There are too many plot holes to explain exactly what Vance wants to do with the crystals or how they work. How can the crystals magically bind to the pups and somehow give them powers? And how are they suddenly able to hone them instantly? In superhero origin stories, it takes weeks, if not months (and sometimes two movies), for a hero to finally understand their place in the world and master their powers.
In PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, it takes five seconds. Skye realizes she can fly, and we’re supposed to buy into the fact that she’s now the film’s Supergirl (the cape during the climax was a nice touch). They do, however, play around with the concept of how the powers work through Liberty (Marsai Martin), who has a hard time figuring out what her powers are, until they magically appear during the climax, in a moment everyone, except the kids (who yelled out WHOAAAAA) saw coming.
The animation is also nicely done. It’s not as detailed as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but that feels like an apples-and-oranges situation. We can’t compare the two because they don’t appeal to the same audience. PAW Patrol’s animation is more towards small children, with strong sequences of action that are never too violent nor too edgy but with the right amount of kinetics to engage the smallest possible viewer. I was even surprised when the meteorite blew up the Patrol’s tower, though it was a light thrill.
The animation work is primarily aimed at small children, in which characters feel like cartoons and the world doesn’t only feel lived in and grounded in reality but with enough fantastical elements to blow the small kids away. However, that doesn’t prevent Mikros Animation from crafting some truly incredible textures on the titular pups and playing with light and color to enhance the action sequences on screen.
As a result, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie is completely inoffensive. No, it won’t change cinema. Yes, it’ll be forgotten in a day for adult viewers who went to see it with their kids, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is whether or not the smallest viewer will have the time of their lives. I can confidently say they absolutely will, and that’s the only thing in the world worth caring about with a movie like this. Take your kids and watch them have an incredible time on the silver screen. They may get hooked for life.
