PAW Patrol: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

PAW Patrol: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 5, 2021

For Blu-ray fans with children, it's likely that Paw Patrol needs no introduction. For the uninitiated, however, the franchise centers around a few dogs who "save the day" as rescue workers, each a different breed and each with their own unique abilities and skill sets. It's a robust franchise populating a fairly niche little corner of the entertainment word, having spawned, of course, a massive following in toy and clothing and other branded merchandise as well as the Nick Jr. TV show, video games, and video adventures. Now, the world-famous pups star in their own feature film which is reliably colorful and surprisingly well done.

The Paw Patrol is going to have to work overtime to save Adventure City from its greatest foe yet: the bumbling new mayor, Humdinger (voiced by Ron Pardo). Mayor Humdinger is obsessed with tinkering with the city, making it perfect in his own eyes, even if it's bad for his citizens. He builds a roller coaster out of the subway, for example, and erects a dangerously tall tower atop of which he sits to look down on his citizens. He also seizes an experimental weather system from a nearby university that pulls clouds out of the sky to ensure that every day is a sunny day in Adventure City. Of course, all of his shenanigans lead to people in trouble, and its up to the Paw Patrol to save the day. However, Chase (voiced by Iain Armitage) finds himself battling his past when he's forced back into the city against his wishes and under Ryder's (voiced by Will Brisbin) advice; Chase was abandoned there as a puppy and stepping foot in the city is enough to rekindle his past trauma. It will be extra duty, then, for Paw Patrol members Skye (voiced by Lilly Bartlam), Rubble (voiced by Keegan Hedley), Marshall (voiced by Kingsley Marshall), Rocky (voiced by Callum Shoniker), and Zuma (voiced by Shayle Simons), as well as newcomer Liberty (voiced by Marsai Martin).

Paw Patrol is, surprisingly, one of the best family films of the year. What could have just been a cash-in kid’s flick shows some real heart, tenderness, and plot that make it worthy of the big screen. While the film doesn’t break new narrative ground, it blends excitement and adventure with big-screen spectacle with an underlying tenderness that ultimately pushes in the expected direction but works well enough to overcome any innate triteness by sheer force of will. Chase’s story is certainly front-and-center, balanced by routine action spectacles. Neither pushes too far – Chase’s story too gloomy or the action too excessive – to overwhelm the other. Balance is the word of the day with this film and it should please younger children in search of a slick and shiny new Paw Patrol platform and adults who will be drawn in by the interesting characters and attention to both narrative and animated detail alike.

Indeed, the animation is first rate. This is a supremely good looking movie, from the characters all the way up to the imposingly complex city details that serve as the movie’s primary set piece and playground. It doesn’t all just look good, it feels alive and full and like a place populated by people worth saving. It’s that the film pays attention to the little things that helps make it so great. Voice acting is terrific, too, all across the board. There’s not bad work in the movie, whether main character or tertiary support player. That includes franchise newcomer Iain Armitage, replacing franchise stalwart Justin Kelly as lead character Chase.

PAW Patrol: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paw Patrol looks breathtakingly good on Blu-ray. A few very minor banding occurrences is the only real downfall here, and they're so minor as to barely interrupt an otherwise picture-perfect presentation. The animation is abundantly colorful and tones are deep, too. The various city environments, the Paw Patrol costumes, animal fur, the mayor's loud costume (that looks like a cross between The Joker and Penguin), and various Paw Patrol vehicles and support tools absolutely leap off the screen with breathtaking precision, nuance, and vitality alike. Every scene is awash in vivid color spectrum goodness. Better, black levels are terrific and whites are brilliantly pure. Detailing is right on the money, too. Not only is the picture crystal clear but the Blu-ray appears to squeeze the most from the source animation, bringing the finest location details, character qualities, and scene-by-scene specifics to life with unblemished definition and razor sharpness. Whether looking at the complex costumes, animal fur, or the dense city elements which never lose sharpness and fine attention to detail even at distance, the Blu-ray is always on top of its game. UHD? Who needs UHD with a Blu-ray looking this good?

PAW Patrol: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Even without a UHD alternative, Paramount brings Paw Patrol to Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. It's a treat! While the height channels are not used so discretely as to draw attention to themselves, a number of audio elements take advantage of the top end, including falling rain, music, and various action scenes to accentuate spatial engagement and draw the listener more fully and fearlessly into Adventure City. Every element is handled with care and precision placement, not to mention pinpoint clarity in every scene. Music is beautifully rendered, whether light and mood critical background score or prodigious action scene orchestral arrangements that bring the track's true power home. Spacing is immersive and seamlessly engaging and the low end checks in with regularity to support music as well as action which, like the music, is impressively positioned for a full-on surround sound barrage. Paramount keeps things in check, never letting the audio go too crazy or loud, but in balance it's a delight. With firmly grounded front-center dialogue, this one is pretty much perfect.

PAW Patrol: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of PAW Patrol: The Movie includes a featurette, a movie-themed news broadcast, and a lyric video. A digital copy code is included with purchase. A DVD copy is not. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• A Totally Paw-Some Team (1080p, 6:02): An introduction to the main characters and the tools of the trade that help them save the day.
• ACN: Adventure City News Reports with Marty Muckraker (1080p, 1:57): The film's news reporter looks at Chase's story as it's told in the film.
• Paw Patrol: The Movie Lyric Video (Reimagined Theme) - English Only (1080p, 1:38): Performed by The Math Club.

PAW Patrol: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paw Patrol is certainly on a roll with its debut feature film. True to the series, fine-tuned to please all audiences, and about as safe and family friendly as can be, this is hands-down one of the best family options of the year, if not the best. Paramount's Blu-ray is disappointingly scant on extra content but the video and audio presentations are first-class. Highly recommended.