In PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, the canine gang faces Taraji P. Henson’s villain, who sends a dangerous meteor toward Earth. And, yes, Kim Kardashian returns, too.
This time the gang faces a brand-new villain, Victoria Vance, a.k.a. Vee (voiced by Henson), who sends the meteor in an effort to prove herself as a reputable scientist. The Paw Patrol successfully saves Adventure City from disaster, but they soon discover that exposure to the meteor and its magical crystals has given each of the pups unique superpowers.
If you can imagine your kiddo enjoying an animated car-chase scene featuring puppies and kittens, set to Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” they’ll probably be thrilled with PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. This is definitely an animation franchise pitched directly to very young viewers, with little of the sly humor that might amuse their adult chaperones. Throw in a whole heck of a lot of puns and sand all the edges down and everything is gently charming, inoffensive and just silly enough but not too silly to be annoying. The kids around you will shout when the pups are in peril, and cheer when they emerge triumphant.
The PAW Patrol franchise is now 10 years old — 70 in dog years — and with each instalment, children and their parents have been treated to exciting adventures, wholesome characters and cool new merchandise. What began as a preschool TV series in 2013 received the silver-screen treatment in 2021 with PAW Patrol: The Movie, broadening its scale and reach but sacrificing none of its lesson-learning or toy-slinging.
Like the show and the previous movie, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie has strong messages about teamwork, friendship, courage and perseverance, as well as the overriding message that even the smallest among us can be big heroes.
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, rated PG, plays at the Patricia Theatre, 5848 Ash Avenue, Powell River, from October 6 to October 12 at 7 pm, with a matinees Saturday, October 7, and Sunday, October 8, at 1:30 pm. Running time is one hour and 28 minutes.
Gary Shilling is executive director of qathet Film Society.
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