This was a hard movie to rate, because I feel so angry at the producers for even making this emotionally manipulative sob fest. Nobody should see this.
The target audience: people who love dogs beyond measure, AND don’t mind crying almost nonstop for an entire film.
I can’t even begin to describe how painful this movie experience is. I feel terrible, lonely, and even broken. The entire audience was weeping all around me, over and over, with every dog death. After the movie, people leaving the theater only mentioned how dreadfully sad they were.
The movie employees also mentioned they will never see this one, after seeing the condition people are in afterward.
I will have to add more thoughts after I sleep this off. The good: the movie is not poorly made. The dog voiceover had charm. Puppies are cute. Horse-dogs are amusing.
So much pain is going on in the real world right now. I don’t recommend paying money and deliberately going out for an evening of celluloid sorrow. Last note: if you do go, do not see this alone.
UPDATE: I promised I would add more, so I am looking over my written review notes. Things I wrote:
“A ‘fluff’ movie — forgive the doggie pun — with a people-oriented Hollywood ending almost nobody will be happy with. Sure, these things happen, but few of us are lucky enough to have the timing right. The message of the movie seems to be about being lonely – no matter what revelation the dog felt compelled to tack on at the end. One person attempted to clap after it was over, and it was roundly ignored by the rest of the theater, in seeming solidarity. That person was even shushed by their seatmate.”
I never warned anyone off a movie before, but am now telling everyone I meet: this one is a manipulative dog turd.
Grade: C
About The Peetimes: This was a tough movie to find Peetimes for, since many of the lives Bailey experiences fly through rather quickly. I added Peetimes that are easy to sum up.
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of A Dog’s Purpose. (What we mean by Anything Extra.)
Rated (PG) for thematic elements and some peril
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Buy the movie from Amazon.com on DVD or Blu Ray
Movie Review – A Dog’s Way Home – A Brutal Experience for Dog Lovers
Co-Creator of RunPee, Chief of Operations, Content Director, and Managing Editor. RunPee Jilly likes galaxy-spanning sci fi, superhero sagas, fantasy films, YA dystopians, action thrillers, chick flicks, and zany comedies, in that order…and possesses an inspiringly small bladder. In fact, that little bladder sparked the creation of RunPee. (Good thing she’s learned to hold it.)