A Dog's Journey

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This is a really good sequel to A DOGS PURPOSE, which came out a couple of years ago. The film continues Bailey's journey, thrugh time and several reincarnations as he continues to look after the people who mean the most to him. Beautifully made and written in places, the film shows mans best friend as he looks out for his human owners, through good times and bad. It is, in places, both highly emotional (showing a depth to Dennis Quaids acting I hadn't really noticed before) and also extremely amusing. The film isn't flawless as there is some wooden acting in places by some of the human cast, but it is still a film that is hard to dislike, and I say that as a cat person. If you want something that is much simpler and family friendly to go and watch that doesn't feature superheroes, profanity or terrible animation then this is highly recommended. It does help if you've seen A Dogs Purpose first as it is a sequel, but it did beautifully finish off the story of Bailey and his adventures. Just one thing, take a supply of tissues with you because I cried and cried at the emotionally charged ending!

Mind you, I'm a cat lover. Nevertheless, director Lasse Hallström's "A Dog's Purpose" was doggone good. No, I haven't read W. Bruce Cameron's novel about a canine that goes through a series o reincarnations, while it ponders its' purpose in life. The dog starts out as a male doggie named Bailey and it narrates the film from its perspective. Life is good for Bailey since he finds himself a family with a kid, and adventures galore occur. However, "A Dog's Purpose" is not without its drama. The family that adopt Bailey is lead by a father with a weakness for alcohol. The action unfolds in the early 1960s, about the time of the Russian missile crisis between President Kennedy and the Kremlin. Ethan raises Bailey and basically gives him free rein of the house. Naturally, Bailey cavorts around the premises and behaves like a loose cannon on deck. Ethan's traveling salesman father (Luke Kirby of "Halloween: Resurrection") doesn't like Bailey, especially after the pooch trashes his at-home office. Later, unbeknownst to the father, Bailey gulps one of his valuable collector's coins as the father is about to show them to his boss over dinner one evening. This episode delivers suspense. Ethan takes Bailey for a walk and scares him into pooping out the coin. This reminded me somewhat of the Saint Bernard in "The Sandlot" that chewed up a baseball signed by home-run slugger Babe Ruth. Except, of course, Ethan lucks up and gets the coin back after using the sighting of a rat in their house as a subterfuge so he can slip it back into the case. Before long Ethan's dad goes off the rails into alcoholism. This is about the same time that Ethan makes a smashing success of himself as a high school quarterback. Another team member who is jealous not only of Ethan's success at football as well as romance ticks Ethan off enough for the latter to deck him in the parking lot after he threatens to expose Ethan's father as a drunk. Vengefully, Todd (Logan Miller of "Escape Room") plays a prank on Ethan that goes horribly wrong. Shoving a lighted firecracker through the mail slot in the front door, Todd accidentally set the house ablaze. Miraculously, Bailey awakens Ethan (K.J. Apa of "The Hate U Give"), and he rouses his mom out of bed. Okay, the father has been driven off the premises by now. Everybody exits the inferno of a house, but Ethan runs out of sheets to lower himself from a window. He makes a leap of faith and tragically injures his leg. Gone is the athletic scholarship that he had been counting on to pay his way through college. Todd is arrested by the police, but we never learn what his fate is. Ethan and his mom move in with her parents, and Ethan winds up going to an agricultural college to studying farming. Although it is largely focused on the dog, the filmmakers keep things very tough on the characters. The reunion at the end between Bailey and Ethan is very lachrymose.

A Dog's Purpose was originally a movie I decided to randomly see at the cinema a few years ago and I had no idea what to expect. The movie managed to surprise me by hitting me on an emotional level and for a family movie it had elements of darkness to it which I didn't expect, despite being a bit cheesy in places. The movie's main gimmick was a dog constantly reincarnating with a Dog POV commentary voiced by Josh Gad. The sequel to the movie A Dog's Journey continues on from where A Dog's Purpose left off with Bailey living with owner Ethan and being set on a new goal to follow their granddaughter "CJ" through many different dog reincarnations after making a promise to Ethan to protect her. If you've seen A Dog's Purpose, you know what to expect. Little quips/observations of what's on the dog's mind and of course the dog dying a few times. It can be a hard watch in parts, and as a dog person I had to hold off a bit in places. I've always liked Josh Gad's commentary (Much prefer him over Bryce Dallas Howard in A Dog's Way Home) and seeing the dog think differently to a human and making little jokes here and there. The movie has a bit of cheesiness to it and tonally it can be uplifting or a sudden downer out of nowhere. I like that though as life never plans out the way you expect and bad things can happen when you least expect it. The acting is a bit shaky in places, but for the most part the themes of growing up, trying different things, and seeing the observation and memories of the dog over the years keeps things engaging. It's a pretty straightforward movie, although I question whether it is a good watch for children or not understanding it all and seeing a dog die a few times. So yeah, A Dog's Journey is basically A Dog's Purpose: Part 2. You know what you are getting yourself into. A movie that will try to emotionally get to you and not be afraid to show the darker side of owning a pet. It has lighter moments in-between though thanks to the Dog commentary. I probably still prefer the first one because I liked the pairing between the dog and Ethan from A Dog's Purpose. If anything, I'd say this one is an easier watch compared to A Dog's Purpose as there is less filler to it and the bleakness is slightly toned down in my opinion. The movie works better with people who like dogs or are dog owners, but if you're looking for a family movie, this is an okay choice in my book. 6/10