‘Dora the Explorer’ Is Rebooting With A Paw Patrol Assist
Grab your backpack! A new rebooted version of Dora the Explorer is coming in 2024, but before that happens, a new Dora short film will ride the coattails of the Paw Patrol on September 29, 2023. Although an all-new CG-animated reboot of Dora will hit Paramount+ in the spring of 2024, families will get a preview of what that will be like if they hit up Paw Patrol: The Might Movie in the theater.
Sadly, this isn’t a crossover. Mayor Humdinger will not team up with Swiper the Fox, and Boots will not be given the opportunity to throw a banana peel out for Marshall to slip on. Instead, much like Pixar movies have shorts that play before the feature, Paw Patrol: The Might Movie will feature a Dora short called Dora and the Fantastical Creatures. So, if you’re taking the family to the new Paw Patrol movie, you’ll get a dose of the new Dora, too.
What will Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie be like? Well, imagine the basic plot of an Avengers movie, or even Blue Beetle, and then apply that to the world of talking dogs who fight crime. Paw Patrol: The Might Movie is leaving no superhero or action movie trope un-recycled, but here’s the rub: This movie makes way more sense than the last ten Marvel shows or films, easily.
If you’re looking for an utterly safe kids’ movie this fall, Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie won’t surprise you. It’s a by-the-numbers kids’ action movie, which, refreshingly, doesn’t try to be cool or subversive. Much has been written about how Paw Patrol is the worst kids’ franchise ever, but that can’t be true as long as Cocomelon exists. Paw Patrol might be dumb-ish, but Mayor Humdinger could be the best kids’ cartoon villain of the 21st century; a combination of Goldfinger from Goldfinger and a real-life corrupt politician.
Dora on the other hand, is one of the best children’s TV shows of all time, and the reboot might be great. While some of us still prefer the old-school animation of the original, contemporary little kids might LOVE the way the new Dora looks, especially if she’s still outsmarting foxes and crossing dangerous rivers like a boss. In terms of a good weekend out with the family, the Paw Patrol and Dora double-feature might not be the worst way to spend your time.