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Jennifer Dodge
Puppy Treat PAW Patrol: The Movie gives us quality time with Chase, Skye and the rest of the beloved canine troupe. By Karen Idelson
W
hen a team of filmmakers set out to make PAW Patrol: The Movie, based on the hugely popular series originally created by renowned British children’s TV icon Keith Chapman (Bob the Builder), they knew they had a challenge on their hands and a very picky preschool audience to please. The original PAW Patrol series (produced by Spin Master, Nickelodeon and Guru Studio) has been a powerhouse show since it first appeared on TV screens in 2013. The show introduced six dynamic rescue pups and their leader, a boy named Ryder, quickly became a favorite with preschoolers by focusing on straightforward, positive storytelling and adorable characters and inspired a wave of toy and wardrobe purchases. “For us, it was important to be able to tell a deeper character story than what we’ve been able to do with this series,” says producer Jennifer Dodge. “And to tell it in a way that a child really can understand and relate to, and maybe even their parents get a deeper meaning from it. You can have a hard day at school or daycare and you can rise above those difficulties and you can come through on the other
side. It doesn’t mean you’re never scared, it doesn’t mean you don’t doubt yourself. But, if at the end of the day, you really believe in yourself and you have people around you who believe in you, you can overcome it.” Director Cal Brunker, who also wrote the film along with his childhood friend Bob Barlen and Billy Frolick, came to the film with a solid understanding of the characters thanks to his own kids.
Paw-sitive Portrayals “When the chance came to pitch my take on
the movie, I was able to bring all of their experience and what my kids loved about the show to the pitch, and I think that really helped,” says Brunker, who also directed The Nut Job 2 and Escape from Planet Earth. “Our take was, we really wanted to build this around the emotional journey of one character, so it felt like more of a theatrical experience. You go on a journey with one of these characters overcoming their struggles, and the whole team is involved, but we felt that that was the best way to bring an audience deeper into the story.”
www.animationmagazine.net 16 august 21
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