Movie Reaction: A Dog's Purpose

Formula: Marley & Me + Ghost

I like dogs more than people. I don't mean to, but I do. If I see a homeless person on the street with a dog, I feel bad for the dog and don't even register the person. That's how I'm wired. Dogs are easier than people and more immediately lovable. I've long held an "irredeemable villain theory" which concludes that the only way to be a villain without hope of redemption is to kill a puppy*. A character can throw a grenade into a schoolhouse full of children, and there's a way I can come around on him by the end. But, the bad guy in John Wick will never get sympathy from me. Really, dog suffering is not what I'm about. So, that means I saw A Dog's Purpose because I am a glutton for punishment.

*Puppy, of course, refers to dogs of any age.

A Dog's Purpose tells the story of a dog who has lived several lives as several different dogs. Within the first five minutes, there's already one dead dog. They waste no time. The second form of the dog is named Bailey and he has a boy named Ethan. The story with Ethan is the bulk of the movie, of course, always told through Baily's perspective. Ethan and Baily are as close as a boy and dog can be. Obviously, Baily doesn't live as long as Ethan...so that's cry #1. Bailey is reincarnated a few more times. He's a police dog, a corgi owned by a lonely college student who eventually starts a family, and a dog with a neglectful owner. There's a couple more good cries along the way. Eventually, he finds his way back to Ethan's farm and tries to find a way to let Ethan know who he is. This is all given away in the trailer, so I don't mind giving away that much of the story.

Josh Gaad is the voice of the dog and that's a good match. He is great at giving a child-like innocence to a character. The human cast is fine. Dennis Quaid is the big name. He's adult Ethan. Peggy Lipton, K.J. Apa, Luke Kirby, Juliet Rylance, and John Ortiz are all familiar, even if I can't come up with their names without IMDB. Britt Robertson is there too. I'm not sure if she works a ton or if I just keep stumbling onto the movies and shows she's in. She's everywhere though. No one in the cast is given anything complex to do, and they do what is asked of them ably.

I did feel talked down to by the story. A Dog's Purpose is a "family movie" in the sense that it was written for children, which means adults can follow it as well (i.e. It's written for the lowest common denominator). There is little nuance to any of the stories. That's how you get something like in the police dog life, there's a comically over-the-top kidnapping story that somehow ends with a standoff at a dam, entirely for dramatic effect. They took the outline of several stories and didn't personalize them any more than absolutely necessary. The plot contrivances fail my One Big Leap test several times over. I'd be lying if I said the movie didn't work though. There doesn't need to be much context to someone saying goodbye to a dying dog to make it emotional. Even poorly written, that can get me tearing up every time.

A Dog's Purpose isn't a great movie. It isn't a good movie. It's is an effective movie. The mission statement for the film is "people love dogs" and it honors that. It's charming and occasionally funny (polite laughter, not belly laughs). It nails the few big beats that it must. The rest of the time, it's a Nicolas Sparks story from the perspective of the dog.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend