PAW Patrol: The Movie (U)

Ryder and his canine crew - police dog Chase, firefighter dog Marshall, recycling dog Rocky, construction dog Rubble, air rescue dog Skye and aquatic rescue dog Zuma - fear the worst when Humdinger becomes mayor of Adventure City and wreaks havoc with his newfound powers. A savvy dachshund called Liberty proves a valuable ally in the fight for justice, which will require exciting new gadgets and gear to ensure the pups stay one paw ahead of their dastardly rival.

LondonNet Film Review
PAW Patrol: The Movie (U)

At a pivotal moment in the first feature-length outing for the computer-animated TV series for pre-schoolers, a conflicted canine hero takes a leap of faith as droplets of rain fall in lustrous slow-motion around them. “Are they going to make it?” gasped the six-year-old girl sitting beside me, transfixed as her favourite puppy defied the rigorous laws of physics that she will learn about in due course. Judged by her reaction, including enthusiastic leaps out of her seat to encourage the eponymous strays to save the day, PAW Patrol: The Movie will wag the tail of its ardent fanbase to repeated blasts of a catchy theme tune that reminds us, “No job’s too big, No pup’s too small…”

Directed at speed by Cal Brunker, the film doesn’t get its “lead in a knot” with a complicated plot or subtle character development, choosing the quickest route to thrills and spills including the daredevil rescue of a driver of a lorry hanging precariously off Adventure Bay’s bridge. The script, co-written by Brunker, Billy Frolick and Bob Barlen, remains cheerfully upbeat and distils easily digestible lessons about courage and self-belief without coming across as heavy-pawed preaching. Scheming arch-villain Humdinger (voiced by Ron Pardo) – boo! hiss! – remains lightly comical, creating sufficient chaos and conflict to sustain a running time just shy of 90 minutes.

Ryder (Will Brisbin) and his canine crew, police dog Chase (Iain Armitage), firefighter dog Marshall (Kingsley Marshall), recycling dog Rocky (Callum Shoniker), construction dog Rubble (Keegan Hedley), air rescue dog Skye (Lilly Bartlam) and aquatic rescue dog Zuma (Shayle Simons), are dismayed to learn that Humdinger has been elected mayor of Adventure City. A rival candidate dropped out of the race in mysterious circumstances, leaving Humdinger as the only name on the ballot. The newly elected official introduces sweeping changes including three loop-the-loops on the city’s train system.

When rain clouds threaten the fireworks at his victory party, Humdinger and hapless security guards Butch (Randall Park) and Ruben (Dax Shepard) storm the university’s Department of Meteorology and commandeer a Cloud Catcher device belonging to chief scientist Kendra Wilson (Yara Shahidi). “As long as I’m mayor, the sun will always shine on Adventure City,” booms Humdinger. Disaster looms and Ryder and the gang enter the fray, aided by plucky dachshund Liberty (Marsai Martin) from their shiny new headquarters, financed by profits from officially licensed PAW Patrol merchandise. “This stuff sells like hot cakes,” quips Ryder to nods from parents in the audience.

PAW Patrol: The Movie introduces a host of new turbo-charged vehicles that will doubtless feature on children’s Christmas wish lists. Animation holds up to scrutiny on the big screen, including high-tempo action sequences, while the voice cast deliver wholesome life lessons and howls on cue.

– Sarah Lee