Michael's Movie Grade: C+
Though this film is obviously aimed at younger audiences, there is still enough here for adults to enjoy.
Just like the first film this is a surprisingly heartfelt movie. The movie focuses on the two female members of the PAW Patrol and both of them have very well-done character arcs that manage to pull on the heart strings. Both of their character arcs are quite similar and revolve around them feeling that they don't have a place among the other members of the group (one because she is small and the other because she feels she lacks something special about her). What could be a simple lesson for kids about everyone being special actually becomes an exploration of feelings of inferiority, that anyone who has ever had these feelings can easily relate to. Because of this it is easy to find yourselves feeling an emotional connection to these two characters and there are moments that will even pull on the heartstrings of those in the grown-ups in the audience. As well as this emotional center the film also features some surprisingly good action scenes that take full advantage of the characters having superpowers. The film also moves at a fast pace and never once gets boring.
The part of the movie that most shows that this is aimed towards a younger audience that is the humor. The jokes are the type that kids might laugh at but will leave most adults in the audience silent.
Even at a feature length the sheer number of pups, doesn't let them all have their time to shine. While the girls get great character arcs the other pups are often relegated to the background. If someone is not familiar with these characters they can easily come off as mostly interchangeable with each other. If you are not familiar with these characters some of them can seem to have no personality whatsoever. The new villain is not interesting at all. Also anyone who has seen a movie before can guess everything that going to happen.
This feature film is accompanied by a short film starring Dora the Explorer. Unfortunately, this short film is strictly for small children and will hold no interest for any adults in the audience.
This may not be a great film, but it is quite enjoyable and heartfelt, even for adults.
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