PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE Blu-ray Review

PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE (Blu-ray + Digital)

Release Date: November 2, 2021

Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Video: 2.40:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core), English UK 5.1 Dolby Digital, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Dutch 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Nederlands 5.1 Dolby Digital

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Special Features - ★ ½ ✰ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰

_____________________________________________________________________________

THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
Pawsome.

Reviewed by Gavin King

It'd be easy to scoff off Paw Patrol: The Movie based on some simple assumptions. It's a feature-length incarnation of a franchise specially curated for the youngest of the young, it seems, with cutesy canine characters, bright and gaudy colors, no dramatic conflicts or high-stakes kerfuffles, sweet and safe morals, and to top it all off a ridiculously catchy theme song that's almost obligated to haunt the heads of parents nationwide. Chances are, if you have any small children within your residence, there's a 95% chance they know who Chase the German Shepherd is. They're also probably conscious to the fact that Rocky's catchphrase is "Green means go!" and that Skye mans an air rescue helicopter. Let's be real... kids know everything about this show. I'm sure if I just so happened to be born later than I was and the Paw Patrol barked its way into my childhood edutainment then I too would have little plushies of all the pups sitting somewhere in my room. Alas, I grew up on 2000s-era Nickelodeon, with shows like Blue's Clues, Oswald, The Backyardigans, and even a tinge of Yo Gabba Gabba cementing my young-age nostalgia for years to come. They were better days. If I was raised on Chase and the gang I'm pretty sure I'd say the same thing.

So when me being the avid moviegoer that I am and always have been noticed that Paw Patrol: The Movie was... finally... being unleashed into theaters a couple months ago, I had come full circle and knew that my sacred duty had to be fulfilled. I managed to catch an early screening at my local Cinemark, lucky lucky me, my double-digit-aged self in an auditorium sardine-packed with - shocker! - youngin's bent on seeing their favorite pups on the big screen or throwing a fit not doing so. Not having watched a singular episode of the series in full prior to my theatrical experience, I took a deep breath, whispered to myself "serenity now," and dove right in.

Movies based on infantile preschoolers' shows shouldn't be this good.

Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Rocky, Zuma, Skye...

So let me explain myself before I come across as a babbling 20-year-old idiot. For the unaware, Paw Patrol chronicles the missions of a team of different-breed dogs, each of whom essentially represent a rescue or safety service integral to their happy little community of Adventure Bay. For example, German Shepherd Chase is the police pup, Marshall the Dalmatian fights fires, Skye the Cockapoo directs air rescue, Rubble the Bulldog's all about construction (with his bulldozer in tow - brilliant, right?), and so on, more or less. All of their missions are manned by a kid named Ryder, who admittedly does a pretty bang-up job moderating the team considering his age. (I repeat - it's a Nick Jr. show. Stop asking questions and enjoy what's in your face.) Simply put, every pup in some way contributes to helping out a dire friend in need of assistance, or really just maintaining the peace and tranquility of the Bay they're proud to reside in.

In the film, the Patrol's longtime arch enemy Mayor Humdinger - the full-of-himself, pompous, but quite frankly just silly purple-dressed overseer of Adventure City - has some dastardly ideas of his own. He's made it crystal-clear to his citizens that townside blessings like museums, libraries, and dog parks just aren't his cup of tea, and as such plans to rid those and everything "boring" just like 'em to make room for groan-inducing statements of sheer capitalism. Y'know, like comically tall skyscrapers, a loop-de-loop roller coaster that's definitely not up to safety standards, all the sorta stuff that makes you just stare with a deep sigh and realize that this is where your tax dollars are going. For the Paw Patrol, this means war. Er, rather, cute and sensual conflict resolution.

Liberty!

So, this shouldn't work, but against every single odd that is present in the cinematic galaxy, it does. Honestly, leaps and bounds better than one would understandably predict. Paw Patrol: The Movie succeeds amidst its consistently-associated expectations of cutesiness because, let's be real here, while it certainly does aim for being cute (and, alright, being effectively cute), it does so with an unexpected charm and wit. I'm quite frankly surprised it worked as well as it did for me in the first place - me being someone who before sitting to view the film had absolutely zero prior knowledge of the Paw Patrol lore and characters - but give a paw to director Cal Brunker (who you may or may not recognize from such animated romps as 2013's sadly obscure Escape From Planet Earth) and company for making things click. The movie thrives off of its distinct, individualized character personalities in the pups and their connection to the plight they face in the story. It's irresistible as heck and it's not unlikely that many audiences will leave the film with at least one favorite character in mind. Whether that's the adorable clumsiness of Marshall the Dalmatian or the bubbly street smarts of dachshund Liberty, the newest member of the Patrol introduced directly in this film, it's not at all difficult to root for the heroes and, while doing so, admiring them for their mannerisms, hobbies, and ways of going about things.

The film is ridiculously easy to watch and digest. It's a briskly paced adventure full of wholesome messages and likable morals that are clear in delivery but never hamfisted or, worse, sickly or sappy in the vein of inferior children's entertainment that came before and after it. It's all super accessible and difficult to resist. The way certain plot points and conflicts are dealt with is comfortably and cozily reminiscent of a really solid episode of Friendship is Magic (apologies for referring back to the horse show, but here, the analogy works) and much less like a rushed, destined for VOD throwaway project. Everything feels very theatrical in its presentation - the animation here gets a huge facelift from the comparatively iconic-but-mundane series, and the story hits some truly surprising dramatic beats I was not expecting for a big-screen adaptation of a supposedly fluffy Nick Jr. show - yet it perfectly attends to that harrowing balance to keep the kiddos jumping for joy and cheering on Chase and the friends. 

I'm as shocked as you are, but honestly, the film nails about everything it needs to get right. With a wide appeal, nimble pacing, slick animation, admirable characters, and a tidy plot with just the appropriate amount of drama - about as much as you can muster from a Paw Patrol movie - there's really no reason to walk out without a smile or, at least, a light grin knowing that the film surpassed toyetic expectations. Of course, unless you're a measly cynic whose heart was at some point in your life torn out. Or Mayor Humdinger. Or maybe you're just both.

PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Video Quality

Paw Patrol: The Movie's 1080p Blu-ray presentation is most certainly on a roll. Framed at a handsomely cinematic 2.40:1, the video is super crisp, clean, and free of any major calls for alarm. Only a couple very light splotches of mild banding is the only thing really worth mentioning. Even then, they're fleeting. Unsurprisingly, colors are the definition of eye-popping, with ceaselessly vibrant hues and shades literally around every corner. Chase's blue, Skye's pink, Rubble's yellow, Marshall's red, and the rest of the Patrol's characteristic colors are of course terrifically represented, but viewers would also be wise to keep an eye out for the realistic streetwise tones of Adventure City and even the almost cool blue tints in Kendra's science lab; environmental supports look wonderful, and that's helped by the fantastic detailing on display, too. Truth be told, the animators have left no bone unfetched; naturally dog fur is the main draw (the differences between Chase's short hair and Skye's fluffier tufts are fun to contrast) but everything else in between, from building structures to doorframes to even little scratches on the interior of a doghouse just go to show the amount of TLC the filmmakers pour into making these films look mighty good. The image has no trouble with black levels (nighttime scenes, with rain especially, maintain a strong appearance) and contrast and saturation are both in perfectly tip-top shape. While a companion UHD release was unfortunately not put out by the folks at Paramount, it would be very interesting to see how one would be able to only improve on a presentation as lovely as this. As things are, though, there's really no reason to complain. Fans will be very happy.

PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Audio Quality

Paw Patrol answers the call on Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos presentation; props to Paramount for including the film's best available theatrical mix despite the lack of a UHD (unlike some studios). Better still, the Atmos track is a hoot. Obviously, it's not as punishingly loud as something like Tenet - that would simply be overkill and, more, would scar the children - and anyone with expectations like that would be wise to pick that film up. As for Paw Patrol, though, it's a fun, carefully designed audio experience. Every channel is in some manner engaged and listeners will consistently feel as though they're with the pups on their missions... that's a good thing for the little ones, as their naïve imaginations run deep. Listen as Skye's helicopter seamlessly zooms from back to front, rain pours all around us in the final showdown (this is also one of the coolest, most prominent bits in the track involving the overhead channels), and above everything else little bits of action-y support fill the stage with, to be honest, more activity than I was personally expecting from a preschool-geared source. The subwoofer likewise doesn't roar, but it is also a neatly complimentary accessory to all that goes on; an explosion in the sky towards the film's end is a nice example of its presence being in check. Really, the track is about balance; nothing is hushed, and nothing is blaring. It finds that snug little in-between that attends to all the film tosses its way with precision and detail, which also extends to musical output; Adam Devine's catchy tune made for the film, "Good Mood," sounds energetic and lively, as does Heitor Pereira's score, which has plenty of room to breathe in each available channel. To cap it all off, spoken dialogue achieves flawless clarity and intelligibility among all of its surrounding elements. As an interesting aside, the Blu-ray also boasts an English UK dub Dolby Digital 5.1 track, in which the American voices in the core Atmos track are replaced by the veteran voice actors from the UK iteration of the series.

PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Special Features

Paw Patrol: The Movie barks up a storm on Blu-ray with a glossy-finish, non-embossed slipcover. Pull it off and open the case to reveal the singular Blu-ray disc in the Paramount-typical plain blue artwork along with a digital copy code and an ad for Paramount+, the studio's streaming platform. When Paramount is going to finally jump onto the Movies Anywhere bandwagon is anyone's guess at this point. The disc is kept inside an Elite-branded case that does not appear to be eco-friendly.

The disc includes the following supplements:

- A Totally Paw-Some Team (1080p, 6:02) A kid-friendly overview of the pups of the Paw Patrol and their neat gadgets and skills that make them beneficial to the team.

- ACN: Adventure City News Reports with Marty Muckraker (1080p, 1:57) Marty Muckraker, Adventure City's premier news anchor, reports on Chase's rags-to-riches story with Ryder, as well as Liberty's entry into the Patrol.

- Paw Patrol: The Movie Lyric Video [Reimagined Theme] (1080p, 1:38) Clips from the film are intercut with song lyrics from the Paw Patrol theme, performed by The Math Club.

PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

As I have already made clear, I initially walked into Paw Patrol: The Movie without an ounce of prior knowledge about what a "Pup Pack" was or knowing that the characters' home was a quaint little town by the name of Adventure Bay. One of the best things I can assuredly state about the film is that it motivated me to watch an episode or two of the series. During the time between when I saw the film back in August and now when I am writing this review, that is exactly what I did. My final conclusion is that the series is admirable in its own right and the movie only augments that. I doubt that's how many other 20-year-olds like me will react, but suffice to say Paw Patrol: The Movie just might be one of the biggest surprises of 2021. It's insanely sweet and cute but makes all the right calls to have just enough depth and gravitas to lift it above the expectations one would sensibly contain. If only more big-screen incarnations of kids' edutainment were this imaginative. It helps, too, that Paramount's Blu-ray package is a solid one, blessed with gorgeous video and a lively Dolby Atmos track. The only nitpick? The bonus content could, and should, have been bigger. But the kids? Pfft, they're here for the movie, and, hey, you just might end up taking the same route as them. Highly recommended.

Additional screenshots: