PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie Review
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie adopts a unique approach by apologizing to parents and caregivers in the audience, acknowledging that it is primarily a global merchandising phenomenon rather than a family-friendly storytelling experience. While it may capture the attention of its target audience of young children, it does not make any efforts to entertain the parents who are dragged along. So, the question becomes, how much parental torture can one expect from this movie?
Mild Parental Torture
The good news is that the level of parental torture is relatively mild, assuming that parents have already developed a tolerance for the PAW Patrol franchise. By taking inspiration from superhero movies and introducing a storyline about the pups acquiring superpowers from a meteor, The Mighty Movie brings more structure to their second cinematic adventure. Unlike the first movie or the made-for-TV special PAW Patrol: Supercharged, which felt disjointed, this film has a clearer premise, well-executed action sequences, and two villains who team up. Additionally, it features a few montages to keep things engaging.
A Deeper Look
In PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Skye, a fan favorite character, gets her own backstory and struggles with feeling physically small. This movie captures a few genuinely clever moments of empathy for kids as Skye dislikes being treated as cute and powerless by adults. Alongside her newfound confidence, Skye must face the formidable mad scientist Victoria Vance as her adversary. Meanwhile, Liberty copes with her lack of powers by training smaller prospective members of the Patrol. Notably, North West, the daughter of Kim Kardashian, voices one of these characters.
Celebrity Cast and Lively Villains
The Mighty Movie boasts a star-studded cast, including Kim Kardashian, Lil Rel Howery, Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, and Kristen Bell. However, their presence may be more like small promotional items rather than significant contributors to the film. Most of the entertainment value is derived from the silly villains, whose colorful goofiness briefly recalls the spirit of the ’60s Batman TV series.
Most of the liveliness comes from silly villains, whose colorful goofiness recalls the ’60s Batman TV series.
Continuity and Kid-Friendly Elements
The Mighty Movie is not concerned with maintaining strict continuity with its TV show counterpart. It introduces Adventure City as the setting and reconfigures the mighty-pup origin story with a meteor crash. This film exhibits more intense destruction than the TV show, raising questions about its PG rating for a preschool-targeted audience. Nevertheless, the resilient pups quickly adapt to their circumstances and relocate to a new high-tech base. In their world, toys and their human leader Ryder hold more authority than parents, emphasizing the franchise’s merchandising focus.