PAW PATROL: The Mighty Movie

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director Cal Brunker, Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures is the next chapter in the pup’s life with PAW PATROL: The Mighty Movie.

Sky (Mckena Grace) has always been an important part of the PAW Patrol and is loved by friends Ryder (Finn Lee-Epp), Chase (Christian Convery), Liberty (Marsai Marin), Rubble (Luxton Handspiker), Marshall (Christian Carrao), Rocky (Callum Shoniker) and Zuma (Nyla Parthipan). Lately however, she has been feeling a bit unappreciated and small.

What none of them know is that Vee Vance (Taraji P. Henson) is a scientist with a plan of her own. Out in space, she wants to pull in a meteor believing she will show everyone who is the greatest scientist of all. When things go horribly wrong, the PAW Patrol save Adventure City but lose their home base. In the street, they find a large glowing meteor and move it to their ship.

Later in the evening, Sky is awakened to the pulsing glow of the meteor and what happens next is amazing. A crystal gives Skye powers of flight and strength and she shares the news and other crystals with the rest of the PAW Patrol. Now suddenly each has their own superpower and can do more to help people than ever before.

Vee Vance is taken to jail where she meets defuncted Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo and his feline gang as the two decide how they can best the PAW Patrol. When a call for help comes out, Sky decides to take matters into her own hands as she tries to prove that she is has what it takes. What she learns is that realizing her worth and the friends who care for her are the greatest super power of all.

Other cast include Lil Rel Howery as Sam Stringer, Alan Kim as Nano, Brice Gonzalez as Tot, North West as Mini, Kim Roberts as Mayor Goodway, James Marsden as Hank and Kristen Bell as Janet.

Paramount Pictures is the longest operating and remaining major studio in Hollywood that has been on the ground floor of every major development in film. From the advent of motion pictures to the emergence of television, through the digital revolution, Paramount Pictures has been there. During our 100-year history, we have served as the production site for thousands of notable movies and television shows. For more please visit www.paramountstudios.com.

Nickelodeon is named after the first five-cent movie theatres of the same name. Their programming includes such amazing animated series such as SpongeBob SquarePants, The Patrick Star Show, Rugrats and Monster High. Reaching preschoolers the shows include Bubble Guppies, Blue’s Clues & You and, of course, PAW Patrol. For more information go to www.nick.com/shows.

PAW Patrol first premiered on Nickelodeon in August of 2013 and it has been a smash since. Each of the characters has found relatability with children and has even secretly kept parents and grandparents entertained. My now eight-year-old granddaughter Jaycie came into the PAW Patrol world in 2017 and was absolutely thrilled to be seeing the film with her five-year-old cousin Jeremy. Their excitement resonated from the moment the screen lit up until the last frame and pup-howled at the very end. That is the power of the pup!

Currently, PAW Patrol airs in more than 170 countries reaching 350 million households and I know very few households around me that don’t have PAW patrol merchandise. Perhaps that is not what Nickelodeon and Paramount had imagined when the green light was given to PAW Patrol in 2013, but it is wonderful that PAW Patrol has had such tremendous success and reached so many children changing lives in the process.

It is so important that families feel that what children are watching is filled with the themes that we want for them to feel loved and empowered. That offers them the possibility to make changes in the lives of families and friends in wonderful ways. Doing the right thing is not always easy, as the PAW Patrol shows, but having good friends who support one another is absolutely fantastic!

The excitement that this group of pups brings to children is so wonderful but it is so much more. It teaches the kids about friendship. Loyalty, overcoming odds and standing up for what is right. It is a wonderful thing to have a children’s television show that embraces divert and has adventure. The friendship between Ryder, who believes his biggest job is to protect his pup friends is so very charming and heart-warming.

The support of Chase, Liberty, Rubble, Marshall, Rocky and Zuma for their friend Sky is exactly how I would hope the kids watching PAW Patrol would feel when they need their friends during life’s struggles and tough times. So, gather up your own litter of pups and prepare for epic adventure that brings the pup out in us all!

In the end – unleash your powers!