Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023)

Probably one of the most inevitable sequels of recent times, those crime fighting pups are back- and now they have superpowers, gained after a meteor strikes Adventure City, releasing sparkly crystals that attach themselves to the pups' collars. Unsurprisingly, Mayor Humdinger is up to no good, joining forces with a mad scientist (who was to blame for the meteor strike in the first place) to steal the pups' power, and use it for no good. Whilst the films' 2021 predecessor chose to focus on Chase and his struggles with self belief and bravery, this one focuses on Skye, the smallest of the team, and her worries that she's never been big enough to truly be a part of the team. There's a return for Liberty, one of the original films' newcomers and strongest characters, alongside the introduction of a few junior pups, and some utterly pointless guest voices, including Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian. Whilst the opening sequence of the film is exciting and well done, the rest of the film-despite being perfectly adequate- lacks the charm of the first one, and perhaps coming from someone whose initiation to the series was the 2021 original (I hadn't really paid attention to the episodes that were repeatedly on my television) The Mighty Movie didn't have the same surprise factor. Which is a ridiculous thing to say when you consider what film I'm reviewing here, but I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by Paw Patrol: The Movie. The Mighty Movie's positive messages and lessons for kids are all present and correct, and despite the fact that apparently fans are furious at the omission of Everest once again, this will go down a treat with the youngsters, and is serviceable enough that parents once again won't be bored senseless. 6.0/10