I’ve lived long enough to see Snoop Dogg in a PAW PATROL movie. Let that sink in for a second, because that’s the world we’re living in now, and honestly, I’m not mad about it.
The themes in PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE are simple enough for kids to understand – making mistakes is how you get better, and you never give up. Also, the new Backstreet Boys song on the soundtrack hits all the feels for the parents.
As for the plot holes, plant-eating and meat-eating dinosaurs live together on this island with zero explanation. Nobody has apparently discovered this island until right now. And every creature and human in the movie, pup or dinosaur or person, moves with that same stiff, cheap animation style. I noticed it all, and I’m kinda upset at myself for criticizing it. My 4-year-old, of course, noticed none of it.
And that’s the thing about a PAW PATROL film. My son had a smile stretched ear to ear for the entire runtime and told me afterward that he loved every part. I’ve realized that a 4-year-old doesn’t want the complexity of TOY STORY 5, which requires a parent to explain things to them. They want simple action and adventure built around themes they can grasp. Is that dumbing things down to his level? No. It’s meeting them where they are, and I applaud PAW PATROL for doing that.
As for me? I took a puppy nap at one point. So did most of the parents around me. No shame.
Final Thought: Audiences know what they’re getting when PAW PATROL teams up with dinosaurs, and for the most part, it delivers that… for the kids in the theatre.
