Paw Patrol: The Movie

I was recently able to sit down with my 6 year old, and watch a movie he was waiting impatiently to be released. He was just about excited as I am for anything Marvel/Star Wars/Disney. Just what is his movie of choice, you ask? Well, it is a heart warming tale about a young boy and his team of six very helpful pups. In case you’re not a parent or have been under quarantine too long. You may have seen that lovable nickelodeon show about Ryder, Chase, Marshal, Rubble, Rocky, and of course Sky made their debut unto the big screen… or the small screen if you’re still scared to go out in public. “Paw Patrol: The Movie” was released on Friday, August 20th and is available to watch in certain theatres, or if you prefer the creature comforts of your home couch. It is also available to anyone who subscribes to Paramount+. As a parent who actually enjoys watching these kinds of movies with any of my kids. Or without them…shhh… I enjoyed this one so much I felt like taking a break from my fiction writing and offer up my first movie review. Another words… be gentle I am no Siskel or Ebert.

I will do my best not to reveal any spoilers for those who have not yet seen it. I will say this about the movie. For those of us who either enjoy watching animation movies with our kids or just suffer through them to make the offspring happy. Most of us if not all of us have at least been able to enjoy the little “adult-ish humor” material they creatively put in for us. I’m not saying they have done that here, but what they have done really tugged away at my heart. They take the time to go deeper into a back story with one of the original pups. This story line can be both cliché and beautiful at the same time. My personal experience makes me feel like it focuses on trauma (mental illness), and how it we can overcome to save the day.

From the trailer you can see the basic idea of the movie is that laughable mischievous Mayor Humdinger has left his own city of Foggy Bottom. He made his way over to Adventure City to do… well, whatever it is it is not good for Adventure City. A new pup grows suspicious of Humdinger and has found a way to connect to Adventure Bay’s own Paw Patrol asking for their help. The team head off to Adventure City, and as you see them checking out the new command center. You get to see Rubble having a moment of signing as he stares at the new high tech, pup treat dispenser. What they don't show in the trailer is a humorous, almost 4th wall breaking, joke about how they can afford all of this new equipment. With new gear, vehicles, and a new friend they take to the streets of the city to help the people the way only the Paw Patrol can.

Overall this was a great movie, especially for anyone into the Paw Patrol like my son. In the last two days he has seen it twice and, as I write this review, fell asleep trying to watch it a third time. They did a great job taking the original pups and moving them form Adventure Bay to Adventure City. They had your typical moments where the pups where when needed they would all get ready and perform the rescues as the fabulous team they are. Adding in a new friendly pup some new gear, vehicles, and a fancy command center was a great way to update the pups for new adventures. Even the animation style was updated to fit the big budget of a movie versus what you see on the small screen. I also liked the quick little jokes you don’t see in the regular show. Like the truck driver acknowledging the fact that his rescuer is a puppy and not some professional. Also, the time when the team goes out on their first rescue in the city and run right into rush hour traffic. Something you don’t ever see in Adventure Bay, huh Ryder? Ha ha ha….

I think the best part of the movie for me is what they don’t show you in the trailer. I will try and keep this generic as possible, so I don’t include any spoilers. What really got to me was the emotional back story they included for one of the pups. Myself and people I know close to me has dealt with or is dealing with major trauma and/or metal illness. This added back story was so intelligently done that a deeper meaning could be felt for us older, wiser folks. At the same time, easy to understand for those who are still learning how to deal with these overwhelming emotions. It helps us to understand that there will be days we feel afraid and feel like we’ve let down those we love. But what happened in our past does not have to define us as a person. We can still grow through the pain of our past and still have an amazing wonderful life. Or to tie this back to the movie. We can overcome our past fears and rise up to save those we love and be the hero of the day.

This movie is a brilliant family/adventure movie for anyone looking for a heart-warming animated movie. Taking these group of pups off the small screen and make them for the big screen was well done, and was awesome to watch with my little guy. You still get the familiar theme song, and you even get a quick little alliteration from your favorite Cap’n Turbot. He would probably say this is a fantastic film find for family and friends. This is worth a watch for anyone who loves these pups. Whether it be using your Paramount+ membership to watch it at home or heading out to the big screens at your local theatre. Either way it is worth the money to be able to enjoy this little gem. Parents you’ll be happy to see how much your littles love it.