Rent PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023)

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

I’m unsure if I ruffled any feathers with my lukewarm distaste for the first Paw Patrol movie. While not fully a thematic misfire or commercial for kids, the trimmed-down story for the wee ones did nothing for me. Which is fine. I’m a white guy in my upper 30s and haven’t reached a level of arrogance so high that I expect something as banal as Paw Patrol should be appealing to me. That said, I can happily report to whom it may concern that The Mighty Movie is true to its title and is the better Paw Patrol movie with enough charm to win me over for an entertaining romp, though I doubt I’ll be watching the show anytime soon.

This film works because there are for more stakes, better arcs, and a surprisingly knowing amount of humor for the adults. After the first film's events, The Mighty Movie finds the pups at their lowest. A meteor that was drawn towards the Earth has obliterated the Paw Patrol HQ tower in their central city. With their home and most of their iconic vehicles demolished, they’ll have to find another way to help the city. Thankfully, the meteor offers a quick solution to their problems by granting all the puppies superpowers. The powers come as expected given their professions: Marshall can control fire as a firefighter, Zuma is fast, Skye can fly, etc.

The perpetrator behind dragging the meteor to Earth is Victoria Vance (Taraji P. Henson), a blue-haired mad scientist who doesn’t favor such a simplistic label. When she is caught in the act, she meets up with the previous film’s villain, the conspiring Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo). They make a great pair, considering Victoria’s upstart nature and Humdinger’s mustache-twirling antics as an evil politician. Their gags range from the toilet humor the kids will get to complaining about fair elections which adults will get. They also present a real threat by trying to deceive the Paw Patrol and exploit their needs to prove themselves.

The movie follows a few pups with genuine concerns over their abilities. Skye has grown uneasy about how she hasn’t grown as much as the other puppies, which makes one question whether these puppies will ever grow into bigger dogs. If they are, Skye doesn’t seem to be showing much development, and her sadness about being the runt of her litter leads to a predictable yet serviceable origin story. Liberty is another member of the Paw Patrol who has yet to receive her special power. Without cool superpowers, she tries to find her special abilities by training the junior Paw Patrol members with plenty of vigor. After all that work, she realizes her ability to be highly flexible.

There’s far more energy and cleverness with The Mighty Movie than the first Paw Patrol movie. I appreciated the action present, where the PP put out fires with quick thinking and evacuated the area before their HQ is blown to smithereens. The actions they pursue go beyond being simple first responders and show some daringness when entering into dangerous situations. The script also has a charming dialogue with a knowing nature to the premise. Early on, one distressed citizen explains the idea of the Paw Patrol to their pet fish. She explains that it’s a band of cute puppies who are somehow able to pilot vehicles. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but just go with it,” she states. Brilliant jabs like that make this Paw Patrol movie rather astute in its writing and bearable for the parents drug to the theater for this farce.

The Mighty Movie is a fine movie indeed. For the parents, all you need to know is that it has some great messages about teamwork and confidence. For the kids, all you need to know is that the puppies all have superpowers now, they have to fight two new villains who have joined forces, and there’s a whole adventure where they have to save the day. It’s very cute, sometimes exciting, and one of the better films for the family's youngest members.