Composer Pinar Toprak has scored the soundtrack for PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! For Skye, the smallest member of the team, the new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ archrival, Mayor Humdinger, breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a meteor-obsessed mad scientist, to steal the pups’ superpowers and turn themselves into supervillains. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, The Mighty Pups must stop Humdinger and Vance before it’s too late, and Skye will learn that even the smallest pups can make the biggest difference...

This 27-track album (1 hr, 02 min, 25 sec) is exactly what you'd expect from an animated action adventure movie. Composer Pinar Toprak delivers not only a collection of impressive, adrenaline fuelled action themes, but also plenty of melancholic, reflective pieces.

There are quite a few musical homages to sci-fi movies from the '80s and every now and then I'd pick up on a few beats from scores from other composers. For example, 'Glowing Meteor' has similarities to Christopher Young's score for Hellraiser (1987) and every now and then I caught a nod and a wink to Richard Harvey's work on Gerry Anderson's Terrahawks TV series (on tracks like 'Mayday Call'). And was that a homage to John Williams work on Return of the Jedi (1983) I spotted on 'Skye Captured' and 'Skye's Gone'?

On the score, Toprak says: "Writing the score for PAW Patrol The Mighty Movie was a truly exciting and joyful experience. I had the immense pleasure of working with the most wonderful team to bring the world of these heroic pups to life. I cannot wait for everyone to experience the music and the movie on the big screen."

Toprak delivers a wonderfully diverse and emotive score that reflects the magic of the PAW Patrol universe. Even if you're not a fan of the show, or this new movie, the score is certainly one you should pick up if you're a collector of beautifully orchestrated soundtracks.

9

Darren Rea