Review: 'PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie' isn't as bad as the first two movies in the series, because who doesn't enjoy dinosaurs?

It would be technically true, if a desperate bid to get blurbed in a movie ad, to say that “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” the third in the preschool-targeted animated films, is the best movie in the series. It’s not great, but the first two were pretty terrible examples of toy commercials masquerading as entertainment.

This installment proves the wisdom of a Hollywood maxim: Any story can be improved by putting dinosaurs in it.

The PAW Patrol, if you don’t know already, is a plucky and well-equipped group of young dogs who perform daring rescues by land, air or sea. As this movie starts, the squad has just saved a family — the parents are voiced by Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton, because why not? — whose yacht caught fire. Then their massive aircraft carrier (available where you buy toys) hits a storm and runs aground on an uncharted island.

The PAW Patrol find a population of dinosaurs, but they’re all friendly. That’s because of the island’s other inhabitant, a pup named Rex (Hayden Chamberlen), who lives in harmony with the Dinos. Rex is depicted using a dog wheelchair, and it’s actually nice to see that no one mentions it.

What passes for a plot here centers on the PAW Patrol’s old nemesis, Mayor Humdinger (voiced by Ron Pardo), recently paroled from prison and eager to make a fortune mining the diamonds discovered on Dino Island.

Grown-ups could make an argument to be made that Dino Island was better off before the PAW Patrol came, and brought humans in contact with the dinosaurs. But that’s not the movie director Cal Brunker and his writing partner, Bob Barlen, are making for the little ones.

This is a light, candy-colored adventure whose unnecessary celebrity voice cameos (including Terry Crews, Jennifer Hudson and Bill Nye) are alleviated with positive messages — like when the pups’ 10-year-old human caretaker, Ryder (voiced by Henry Bolan), gives pep talks to a doubting firedog Marshall (voiced by Carter Young). 

“PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” isn’t great entertainment, but any moviegoers with small children will appreciate the positivity and the action — and, on a hot August day, the air conditioning in the theater is a plus.

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‘PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie’

★★1/2

Opens Friday, August 14, in theaters everywhere. Rated PG for mild action/peril. Running time: 88 minutes.