FILM REVIEW: PAW PATROL – THE DINO MOVIE (U) ESP RATING: 4/5
- ESP Online
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
A roar-some adventure that gives its target audience exactly what they came for.
My seven-year-old recently told me that he has almost outgrown PAW Patrol. Sad news – especially as it was one of the few shows I didn’t mind being forced to watch (also a big fan of Bluey, if you’re curious).
So, with my son still having a little PAW Patrol love left in him, we headed to the cinema to check out PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie. And, as expected, I’m very glad we did.
The film sees Ryder (Henry Bolan) and the pups – Skye (McKenna Grace), Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Rocky and Zuma – heading to a mysterious island inhabited by dinosaurs. When Mayor Humdinger’s latest scheme puts the island in danger, the gang must team up with Rex (Hayden Chemberlen), a dinosaur expert and fellow pup, to save the day.
This is very much the PAW Patrol you know and love.
Yes, they’ve thrown the main protagonists into a completely new environment, added dinosaurs, volcanoes and a new character in Rex, but the formula remains reassuringly familiar. You’ve got the same characters, the same humour, the same ‘beats’ and, of course, plenty of increasingly elaborate rescue missions.
And that’s not a criticism. Sometimes you know exactly what you’re getting into before the lights go down, and The Dino Movie delivers exactly that.
The animation looks fantastic on the big screen, with the dinosaurs and colourful island setting giving the film plenty of visual spectacle.
But there’s another test I apply to children’s films: how long does my ridiculously hyperactive seven-year-old sit still?
The answer here was: the entire bloomin’ film! He was completely engrossed from beginning to end, watching the chaos unfold without constantly asking how much longer was left. That’s a ‘winner’ in my book. At just under ninety minutes, the runtime feels pretty much perfect too.
Is this movie going to win over someone who has never cared about PAW Patrol? Probably not. This is aimed squarely at the kids who already love these pups, and it understands exactly what they want.
I’ve given it four stars, but the more important score might be the one from the person who actually falls within the target demographic (if only just). My son gave it a very enthusiastic 5/5.
This may have been the last justifiable time I can go and see a PAW Patrol movie – so I’m very glad we ended our journey Skye high.
ESP Rating: 4/5
Mike Clarke
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now
Voice Cast: McKenna Grace, Jennifer Hudson, Terry Crews, Paris Hilton, Bill Nye, Henry Bolan, Rain Janjua, Carter Young, Lucien Duncan-Reid, William Derosiers, Nylan Parthipan, Hayden Chemberlen & Snoop Dogg
Running Time: 1 Hr 28 Mins
Director: Carl Brunker
Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough
For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe Cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk
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