★★★

starring: carter young, mckenna grace, terry crews, and snoop dogg

​

REVIEWER: lyall carter

The Paw Patrol lands on a mysterious dinosaur island after a storm, where they meet Rex, a stranded pup. When Humdinger's reckless mining triggers a volcano, the team faces their biggest rescue mission yet to save the island.

It’s strange to think that I’ve never been to the cinema to watch a Paw Patrol movie, what with a four-year-old and a two-year-old, who, number one, are obsessed with movies, and, number two, are obsessed with Paw Patrol. And so I found myself one weekend morning settling down for what I thought would be a kind of kiddie movie - something perhaps a little more kiddie than your average Disney film. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie has more than enough to entertain children, even the youngest of children, while carrying a message that will resonate not only with them, but with the adults sitting alongside them as well.

After their ship is caught in a mysterious storm, Paw Patrol crash-land on an uncharted tropical island populated by dinosaurs. There they meet Rex, a pup who wound up stranded on the island years before. But when Mayor Humdinger shows up and begins recklessly mining the island for its resources, he awakens a huge dormant volcano. Suddenly, the pups face their biggest rescue yet, racing to save Rex, the dinosaurs, and the island itself from total destruction.

The story is fairly easy to follow, whether you’re the youngest in the room or grandma taking the kids so Mum and Dad get a break. It follows the Paw Patrol as they work together to help their new dinosaur friends and save the island.

It’s a fun, lighthearted film, but there are some lovely moments of humanity scattered throughout. Young and old alike are reminded that expectations are all well and good, but ultimately, it’s giving something your best shot that really counts. Making mistakes is okay. What matters is learning from them, getting back up, and having another go.

The animation is colorful and engaging, while the action is suspenseful without ever becoming too scary for younger kids. And then there’s perhaps the most important test of all: the kid test. Did they actually stay entertained and in their seats for the whole movie? My four-year-old and two-year-old stayed glued to the screen and entertained throughout - can't get a better recommendation than that.

If you want a great family film that you can take kids of all ages along to, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie delivers exactly what you need.

Colorful, funny, and packed with enough dino-sized adventure to keep the kids glued to the screen, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie also has enough heart to remind the grown-ups that sometimes giving it your best shot really is enough.

★★★