Review | Paw Patrol: The Movie review – puppy pack head for the big city in cute and colourful cartoon feature
- Based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series, the film is cute and colourful – listen out for guest voices Randall Park, Tyler Perry and Kim Kardashian
- While feline lovers may object to cats being cast as the bad guys, Paw Patrol: The Movie is a solidly entertaining film for kids, with jokes for adults too
3/5 stars
Based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series, Paw Patrol: The Movie takes the adventures of Ryder (voiced by Will Brisbin) and his six-strong puppy pack to the big city.
The “Paw Patrol” – Chase, Skye, Rocky, Rubble, Marshall and Zuma – are public-spirited pups living in the sunny Adventure Bay. No job is too big or small for these intrepid canines, who all sport bright uniforms and drive heavy-duty vehicles. When the film opens and a tanker full of maple syrup swerves to avoid a baby turtle, almost crashing over a bridge, they’re on hand to save the day.
As any television-to-movie production demands, the action must be set on a grander scale. Here, we head to Adventure City, now run by Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo) – who fans will know as the Paw Patrol’s regular nemesis.
When a dachshund named Liberty sends an SOS to save the city that Humdinger is ruining, Ryder and the dogs head out – much to Chase’s concern. It was here where he was abandoned as a puppy, and the big city still holds much fear for him.
Humdinger, who struts around in purple top hats and wears feline-embossed boxer shorts, is an amusing villain – the sort of useless politician that’s all too familiar. He puts in a hazardous, roller-coaster-style track, pointlessly, for the city’s public railway. He also commandeers a gizmo used to study clouds to keep the sky perpetually sunny, a tactic that leads to a meteorological meltdown.