“PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” opens in theaters August 14 carrying a solidly positive early critical score, sitting at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes from 11 reviews as of this week, according to ComicBasics. That places the third theatrical entry in the franchise well ahead of the “rotten” territory some critics predicted for a film built as heavily around merchandise as story.
The plot sends Ryder and the pups off course during a storm, landing them on an uncharted island still populated by dinosaurs that survived past the Ice Age. There they meet Rex, a paraplegic pup who’s been stranded on the island for two years and has since built a life for himself among the creatures, according to plot details compiled by Variety and The People’s Movies. The team’s would-be nemesis, Mayor Humdinger, complicates the island’s fragile ecosystem by mining it for diamonds, setting off an environmental crisis that threatens both the dinosaurs and the pups.
Critics Who Liked It
Several reviewers point to the film’s handling of Marshall, the accident-prone Dalmatian, as the movie’s emotional backbone. Movieguide’s four-star review calls Marshall’s arc — a character quietly afraid of never measuring up, supported by friends who see his worth regardless — the strongest element of the film, crediting the story with clearly and effectively threading themes of bravery, sacrifice and teamwork throughout the adventure.
FandomWire’s review, cited by ComicBasics, awarded the film a 7 out of 10, describing it as a fun and emotionally resonant adventure that pairs appealing visuals with a positive message aimed squarely at its young audience. The People’s Movies’ review reaches a similar conclusion, noting the film sticks closely to the franchise’s established formula while still working in a meaningful lesson about resilience — adding that the film is unmistakably built for its young target audience rather than for the adults who bring them to the theater.
Where Critics Pushed Back
Not every reviewer was won over. TheWrap’s review landed on the Rotten side of the aggregator, taking a considerably harsher view of the franchise’s commercial nature and comparing its brand of children’s entertainment to something out of a dystopian satire. That review also pushes back on the idea that a kids’ movie should be exempt from real critical scrutiny simply because it’s aimed at children rather than adults, arguing that the adults who make and market this content should be held to the same standard as any other filmmaker.
Variety’s review is more mixed than outright negative, calling the film passable entertainment tangled up in muddled politics. The review takes particular issue with how the story handles morality around technology and modernity — praising the film’s environmental message on one hand while noting it simultaneously treats newer gadgets and vehicles as inherently cool, creating a tension the film never fully resolves. Even so, Variety credits the film with eventually finding its footing once Humdinger’s greed sets the island’s crisis in motion.
A Familiar Gender Gap
Mediaversity’s review raises a longer-running critique of the franchise itself, noting the persistent imbalance between its male and female characters. Of the film’s seven-member pup team, only one, Skye, is female, and the review argues she’s still designed around fairly dated, stereotypically feminine visual cues decades after the franchise first premiered. The review does note the human cast fares better on representation, pointing to Fortune Feimster and Jameela Jamil’s roles as paleontologists, even while observing that both characters ultimately need rescuing by the pups themselves.
The Bottom Line
Overall, the reviews suggest that the third PAW Patrol movie fulfills its purpose by offering bright visuals, plenty of fast-moving fun, and a simple message about the importance of teamwork. Like previous entries in the franchise, it is primarily designed for preschoolers and younger elementary-school children. Critics differ mainly on how much patience they have for its commercial underpinnings and dated gender dynamics, but the consensus so far leans toward the film clearing its bar comfortably rather than stumbling.
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie will hit theaters across the country on August 14.
