by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
I’m sure a sucker for puppies. I’m a dog person and if Paw Patrol came out when I was a toddler, I would have been begging my parents to take me to see the pups on the big screen! Paw Patrol: The Movie aims to be a harmless, lighthearted fun film as Ryder (Will Brisbin) and the pups are called to Adventure City to stop Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo) from getting rid of all the dogs and cause havoc in the city. It’s up to the Chase (Iain Armitage) and the Paw Patrol to save the day along with their new friend Liberty (Marsai Martin).
The film isn’t exactly targeted towards adults or anyone older than the age of 10, but Paw Patrol: The Movie knows exactly what it is: a comforting watch for its young fans. There is no doubt kids are going to love it. It isn’t hard to love a film that involves adorable puppies and screams big adventure.
Armitage provides excellent voice work to bring the German Shepherd Chase to life. Chase tries to be the leader, as he is known for being the bravest of all the pups. He faces issues concerning his confidence, and eventually overcomes them. The film’s main focus is on Chase, so the other characters don’t get the same spotlight or treatment as he does. For audiences who have not seen or heard of the series, Chase is the only character you will get to know, even though the other pups were the ones that made the original show shine.
Liberty is a dachshund, and is the real star of the film. Martin emanates sheer confidence with her performance and dreams of becoming a member of the Paw Patrol team, just as Martin herself is a star in the making. In fact, she has a line that sticks out in the film in which she says, “I might just be one small pup all alone in the big city, but I can still make a difference.” The Paw Patrol’s duty is to help others and make a difference, and Liberty makes herself worthy enough as a member of the team. She is the character audiences are going to adore as the scene stealer.
There is also the mega all-star cast that was marketed as a way to get parents interested. Dax Shepard, Jimmy Kimmel, Randall Park, Yara Shahidi, Tyler Perry, and Kim Kardashian provide simple voice work to make a quick paycheck. Audiences like myself are still trying to wrap our heads around why a Kardashian is in the film. She doesn’t do much other than provide the voice of a white, fluffy poodle named Delores, whose character doesn’t do much at all.
Director of the film, Cal Brunker, has had some major misses over his career, including Escape from Planet Earth and The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, but this latest film is definitely his best project. Brunker directs a story that is simple enough for the film’s target audience to understand, and the pacing is just right. It doesn’t do anything different than a stereotypical children’s film, but isn’t obnoxious either — it’s a perfectly fine film. Brunker co-wrote the screenplay with Billy Frolick and Bob Barlen. It includes low-brow humor that won’t make adults laugh out loud, but it’s humorous enough to make a child chuckle and smile. The bright and colorful animation is taken right from the show and is given a good face lift so the animation can fit the tone of the film.
Paw Patrol: The Movie is a harmless, fun film that strives to tell a sweet story for its target audience of toddlers. It’s a safe, cute, and memorable film for young fans.
Grade: B