The Paw Patrol are first responder puppies dedicated to saving those in danger. Ryder is a human boy and leader of the Paw Patrol group. The head pup, Chase,(“Young Sheldon’s” Iain Armitage) leads the group on daring rescues. The pups are ready to handle any situation since they all have special rescue functions and access to any machine or equipment needed to save the day.
This is the first Paw Patrol movie stemming from the popular Nickelodeon tv series of the same name. The show has been on for 8 seasons demonstrating the attractiveness of the show and characters.
Marketed to the age group of 3-10 yrs. of age, this movie is only 90 minutes long and is rated G. No ill humor or social justice so it’s no problem taking your kids, grandkids or even Grandma. Paw Patrol is Nickelodeon, so it is not a Disney Pixar type film but is very high-end animation that even include slow motion scenes.
SUMMARY: Set in current time, the newly elected narcissistic mayor, Humdinger, quickly takes over the town of Adventure City. Humdinger being a cat person, outlaws all dog parks in town. He also is secretly having all the dogs in Adventure City kidnapped and thrown in an underground dog jail never to be seen again.
The Paw Patrol gets a distress call from a local canine citizen, a long-haired dachshund named Liberty, to help with the damage that is happening. And it doesn’t stop there. On the way to the rescue, the city becomes a blaze due to Mayor Humdinger’s fanatical fireworks display to honor himself.
Having more gadgets than James Bond, Get Smart and Mr. Gadget himself, the pups come to the rescue using the most inconceivable machines transforming into every device imaginable. Covering ground, air, and stratosphere, they don’t give crime a chance to flourish and save the day.
A side story has the main puppy, Chase, experiencing flashbacks from when he was a lost small puppy in Adventure City and was so overwhelmed that it gave him a complex. Now being a rescue pup, he is forced to face his fears of the big city and forge ahead to overcome. It emphasizes the message if you are scared, don’t let it stop you and don’t give up. Proving no problem too big and no pup too small.
CREATIVE ELEMENTS: Fueling the energy for the daring rescues is the current music style of the day with appropriate lyrics that doesn’t have a “warning label ” for parents. This movie is also ‘so today’ that it’s sprinkled with references that kids recognize like influencers, hashtag, drones, selfies, and followers.
Cameo voice overs by some high-profile celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Tyler Perry, and Jimmy Kimmel give some grown up voices amongst all the younger voice actors. Most of the younger voices are from the TV show and some are not but all are professionals and do a great and believable acting job.
There are some cute jokes in this movie that will give parents a chuckle ever so often using dog related references such as “What’s got his leash in a knot?”
AS I SEE IT: Using animals in a humanized way for story telling is very effective for the young mind to grasp. Cute animals keep the interest of the young viewer and captivates their attention as the story unfolds. The story line and characters of Paw Patrol I feel is very safe for the young mind with no worries for parents. It’s a simple storyline with lots of action and fun visuals. It’s also a fun movie for them and no worries for you. Have a good time and get a big bucket of popcorn.
