| PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie | |
| Director: | Cal Brunker |
| Editing: | Ed Fuller |
| Music: | Pinar Toprak |
| Studio: | Nickelodeon Movies Spin Master Entertainment |
| Released: | (United States and Canada) |
| Runtime: | 87 minutes[1] |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $30 million |
| Gross: | $202.2 million[2] [3] |
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie is a 2023 American-Canadian animated superhero comedy film based on the television series PAW Patrol created by Keith Chapman. The sequel to (2021), it was directed by Cal Brunker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Bob Barlen from a story by Brunker, Barlen, and Shane Morris. Several cast members from the main series reprised their roles, including Christian Corrao (voicing Marshall), Luxton Handspiker (voicing Rubble), Callum Shoniker (voicing Rocky), and Ron Pardo (voicing both Cap'n Turbot and Mayor Humdinger). They are joined by an ensemble voice cast including Mckenna Grace (voicing Skye), Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery (voicing Chase), Kim Kardashian, Chris Rock, Lil Rel Howery, Serena Williams, North West, Saint West, James Marsden, Kristen Bell, and introducing Finn Lee-Epp in his film debut as Ryder. In the film, the PAW Patrol pups gain superpowers from crystals inside a meteor and must stop Mayor Humdinger and his new accomplice Victoria Vance from wreaking havoc in Adventure City.
The film was produced by Spin Master Entertainment and was distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures while Paramount Pictures (under the Nickelodeon Movies banner) handled international distribution. It is the second film under the Spin Master Entertainment banner. Plans for a sequel began in August 2021 when Brunker stated that he was interested in making a sequel after its predecessor's success. Work on the film began when it was officially greenlit by Spin Master in November 2021, with a planned October 13, 2023 release date before being pushed forward to a September 2023 release, with Brunker returning to direct. The film features elements from the Mighty Pups sub-theme of the main show. Mikros Image in Montreal returned to provide computer-animation, while the musical score was composed by Pinar Toprak, replacing Heitor Pereira from the first film. Much of the main voice cast was announced in January 2023, following Henson's casting in May 2022.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie was released in Canada and the United States on September 29, 2023, to generally positive reviews from critics and was a financial success, grossing over $202 million worldwide, against a production budget of $30 million. A third film is in development and scheduled to be released on July 31, 2026.
Two years after the events of the first film, meteor expert Victoria Vance steals a giant electromagnet from Hank and Janet's scrapyard, and sets the scrapyard on fire, trapping them. Janet calls Ryder and the PAW Patrol pups, who subsequently extinguish the fire. News reporter Sam Stringer and the citizens of Adventure City gather to wait for a meteor shower while Ryder introduces the PAW Patrol to the Junior Patrollers: Nano, Mini, and Tot, three Pomeranians who wish to be part of the team. In an abandoned observatory, Vance uses the electromagnet to create the Meteor Magnet, in hopes of snatching a magical meteor. However, the attempt backfires as the Meteor Magnet malfunctions, causing the meteor to head straight for the city; Ryder and the PAW Patrol notices this and warns the civilians to evacuate the area before the meteor crash lands and destroys their headquarters. Vance is arrested for broadcasting her attempt to catch the meteor, while the PAW Patrol takes the meteor to the Aircraft Carrier HQ for analysis.
That night, Skye is awoken by a glow from the meteor. The meteor cracks open, revealing seven crystals, one of which attaches to Skye's pup tag, granting her the powers of flight and super strength. The rest of the pups gain their own powers except Liberty, whom Ryder assigns to train the Junior Patrollers, rebranding themselves as "the Mighty Pups".
Vance escapes with Mayor Humdinger and the Kitten Catastrophe Crew to steal the crystals. Onboard Humdinger's private airplane, they set a trap for the PAW Patrol. Skye engages them in battle, but loses her crystal to the gang who parachute out, leaving Skye trapped as the plane loses control. This causes Ryder to have the pups clear out Main Street where Skye lands the plane.
Back at the Aircraft Carrier HQ, Skye reveals to Chase that she was the runt of her litter as a young puppy and nearly abandoned while her siblings were adopted by families; she nearly froze to death trying to follow Ryder in the snow before he saved her. Later that night, Skye takes the pups' crystals in an attempt to retrieve hers, but Vance traps her and steals the rest of the crystals. Upon discovering Skye and the crystals gone, the PAW Patrol fights against Humdinger, who has used a crystal to grow into a giant. Liberty saves Delores from being stepped on by Humdinger, but falls into a dumpster. Thanks to the Junior Patrollers’ intervention, Marshall retrieves the crystal from Humdinger, who is arrested again.
The PAW Patrol follow the crystal's signature to Vance's observatory, where the Junior Patrollers distract her as Zuma rescues Skye. The pups fight Vance by passing one crystal from pup to pup; amidst the battle, Chase falls off a cliff but is saved by Liberty, who finds her power to be elasticity. The pups manage to defeat Vance (who is also again arrested), round up all of the crystals, and destroy the Meteor Magnet. However, Vance had already attracted more meteors which are heading for Adventure City; the pups give their crystals to Skye, who flies into the air and destroys the meteors. When a giant meteor appears on a collision course for the city, she goes in for one final burst of strength, managing to destroy the meteor in time. Although Skye gets killed by the impact, she is revived by the power of the crystals.
The PAW Patrol and the Junior Patrollers congratulate Skye for her bravery, and with Humdinger and Vance back behind bars, Ryder and the PAW Patrol continue to live their lives in Adventure City.
In an August 2021 interview, director Cal Brunker stated that he was interested in making a sequel after the success of . He said, "We've certainly thought about it. There are other stories that we would be excited about telling. But for us, it's really about seeing if people love this one, and then taking it from there."[9] On November 3, 2021, Spin Master announced that a sequel, titled PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, had begun development, with Brunker confirmed to be returning in the sequel as director and Jennifer Dodge set to return as producer with the addition of Laura Clunie and Toni Stevens.[10]
The sequel features elements from the Mighty Pups sub-theme of the series, where a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure Bay and the pups transform into Mighty Pups with superpowers. It focuses on the story of Skye who is the smallest member of the team, exploring her new "powers" in Adventure City and featuring supervillains where they steal the superpowers from the Mighty Pups, determined to make the biggest difference.[10]
Jennifer Dodge, who produced the film sequel, said that she wanted to tell a deeper story that could resonate even stronger with kids and families worldwide. She added, "Judging by the exit polls, audience scores, and positive critical reception, everyone had as much fun watching it, and rewatching it, as we did making it. We’re looking forward to taking kids on a new adventure in the second film with our partners and can't wait to further expand our storytelling with one of the fan-favorite pups in our spin-off."[10]
In May 2022, it was announced that Taraji P. Henson would join the cast in a new role. After joining the sequel, she made the following statement: "I am so excited to be a part of the next PAW Patrol theatrical adventure. While I don't want to give too much away, my character in the film throws the pups some new challenges that they must unite to overcome. I think the film has a powerful message for kids that no matter how small they might be, they can still make a difference in their community."[4]
On January 25, 2023, Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, Mckenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, James Marsden, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian (reprising her role as Delores), Marsai Martin (reprising her role as Liberty), Ron Pardo (reprising his role as Mayor Humdinger), Callum Shoniker (reprising his role as Rocky), Alan Kim, Brice Gonzalez, North West, Saint West, Luxton Handspiker (reprising his role as Rubble from Rubble & Crew replacing Keegan Hedley from the first movie), Christian Corrao (reprising his role as Marshall from the show replacing Kingsley Marshall from the first movie), and Nylan Parthipan were added to the cast. Grace and Martin had previously worked together in Spirit Untamed.[11] During Paramount's presentation at CinemaCon in April, Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, previewed a trailer for PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and revealed that Chris Rock will have a cameo in the film.[12]
On June 7, 2022, it was announced that Mikros Image in Montreal, who animated the first film, would return to handle the animation.[13]
Pinar Toprak composed the film's musical score, replacing Heitor Pereira from the first film.[14] The soundtrack album was released on September 29, 2023, the same day as the film's theatrical release.[15] Additionally, three original songs were announced to be made for the film: "Down Like That", "Bark to the Beat", and "Learning To Fly", performed by Bryson Tiller, Mckenna Grace with blackbear, and Christina Aguilera and released as singles on September 8, 15, and 22, respectively.[16]
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie was theatrically released earlier in various European countries, including Portugal, on September 23, 2023.[17] It was released in the United States and Canada on September 29.[18] Unlike the first film, which was simultaneously released on Paramount+ in addition to a traditional theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[19] the film was released exclusively in theaters.[20] It was accompanied by the short animated film Dora and the Fantastical Creatures from the upcoming preschool show Dora.[21] Upon the film's announcement, it was given a release date of October 13, 2023, in November 2021,[22] but in February 2023, it was pushed forward by two weeks to its current date.[18] Other territories released the film in October 2023; the United Kingdom, for example, showed a special charity preview in aid of Medicinema on September 24, 2023, and had two weekends of advance preview screenings from September 30, 2023, before its wide release on October 13.[23]
A line of action figures and toys by Spin Master was released in August 2023.[24]
Paramount Home Entertainment released PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie on digital on October 31, 2023. The movie was streamed on November 14, 2023 on Paramount+ and released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 12, 2023.[25]
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie made its TV debut on Nickelodeon US on July 19, 2024.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie grossed $65.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $137 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $202.2 million.[3] [2] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $114million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[26]
In the United States and Canada, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie was released alongside The Creator, Saw X, and the wide expansion of Dumb Money, and was projected to gross $18–20 million from 3,989 theaters in its opening weekend.[27] It made $6.8 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $22.8 million, topping the box office.[28] It fell 48% to $11.2 million in its second weekend, finishing second behind newcomer ,[29] and then made $7 million in its third weekend.[30]
[31] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled at PostTrak gave it an 83% overall positive score, with 68% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[28]
Courtney Howard of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing, "With much humor and charm, this second chapter reads fairly well for all ages. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it certainly knows how to cleverly repackage and resell the goods."[32] Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing: "Skye's subplot will particularly resonate with young audiences, since she initially feels like her small size makes her the team's weakest link."[33] Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com gave the film three stars out of four, saying "Is it a worthwhile transition object to get children used to the thrill of seeing stories they love on a giant screen in a dark room? Of course, it is."[34]
Jesse Hassenger of IGN gave the film a 5 out of 10, stating: "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie feels more like a legitimate feature film than its predecessor, but it's still well within the realm of distractor cinema rather than something parents would want to watch with their kids."[35] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a mixed review, writing, "Unfortunately, much of the film's running time is taken up [with]... the sort of typically mind-numbing action sequences stuffing adult live-action superhero franchises."[36] Jake Wilson of The Age criticized the film for its rehashed plot.[37]
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Best Original Song – Animated Film | "Down Like That" – Bryson Tiller, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga, and Charlie Heath | [38] | |
| Canadian Screen Awards | May 26–31, 2024 | Best Sound Editing | J. R. Fountain | [39] [40] | |
| Best Sound Mixing | Bernard Gariépy Strobl and J.R. Fountain | ||||
| Golden Screen Award | Spin Master Entertainment | ||||
| Leo Awards | July 7, 2024 | Best Voice Performance Animation Program | Christian Convery | [41] | |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | July 13, 2024 | Favorite Animated Movie | PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie | [42] | |
| Favourite Female Voice From an Animated Movie | Kristen Bell | ||||
| Mckenna Grace |
On September 26, 2023, Spin Master announced that a third film is in development. On February 28, 2024, it was announced that PAW Patrol 3 will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.[43] [44]