"A Dog's Purpose" Review

Title: A Dog's Purpose

Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom

Written by: W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes, and Wally                               Wolodarsky

Year: 2017


When I first saw the trailer for this film, I honestly thought it was a joke. A dog that reincarnates and lives different lives? Give me a break. It sounds like the sappy material you would find in a half-cooked novel. And as it turns out, the movie is in fact based on a book. A well received one I might add. As a dog-owner, I felt that I would at least be invested a small amount and decided to give this flick a chance. Is this a furry good time, or were the filmmakers barking up the wrong tree?

This film tells the story of a dog named Bailey, who grows a loving attachment to his owner, Ethan. Eventually, Bailey dies and is reincarnated as a different dog multiple times throughout the film. While living these various lives, Bailey attempts to discover his purpose in life. Based on the novel of the same name.

Josh Gad lends his voice to Bailey through his numerous incarnations, and I have to say that Gad captures the general personality that we associate with dogs. The script calls for a highly inquisitive and helpful, although not too bright, character, and Gad delivers this on every level. His intonations and highly energetic voice fit Bailey wonderfully and harken back to Doug from Up. Unfortunately, I cannot grant the same praises to the human cast. Bryce Gheisar plays Ethan at his youngest. Gheisar does a decent job, but he fails to leave a lasting impact.

KJ Apa portrays Ethan in his teenage years, alongside Britt Robertson who plays Hannah, Ethan's love interest. Both Apa and Robertson are especially bland in this feature. There seems to be a little bit of chemistry between them, particularly in their earlier scenes, but their dynamic as actors falls flat. It does not help that the script is not in their favor, with cheesy and clunky dialogue needing to be spoken. Dennis Quaid and Peggy Lipton play these two characters in their old age. Though they are slightly better, even these veteran actors cannot overcome the awful script they are forced to work with.

As I stated earlier, I found the premise of this film to be ridiculous. Now, after having watched the film, I can say that my initial suspicions were correct. This picture is burdened with an unpolished and amateur script that calls for every cliché in the book. You have the two lovers meeting at a fair, the dog eating something that someone else needs, a montage detailing the growing romance, the works. But the human dialogue is painful to listen to, which makes this film feel much longer than it actually is.

What I will say that works to this film's credit (in a sense) is the idea of the multiple lives. Though the concept is quite silly (would this not be better suited for a cat, nine lives and all?), it does provide a story that is constantly being refreshed within the film. I think the most interesting story, and the one that deserved way more time dedicated to it, was when Bailey was a police dog. However, the schtick does get old and having to watch this dog die more than once is a low-blow to the audience, but a bold one.

Sticking to a positive note, there is a great deal of humor in this film that works well. Most of the good jokes come from the misconceptions that Bailey has on life. For instance, he thinks his job as a police dog is a sort of game. One of the best moments is how the film attempts to explain why dogs chase cats; the dog is trying to teach the cat how to be a dog. It might sound strange, but it works well in the movie.

A Dog's Purpose is an incredibly muddled flick. Though Josh Gad is truly entertaining as the voice of Bailey, making the comedy in the movie functional, there are few redeeming qualities to warrant a watch. The acting is stale and bland; the script is clumsy and cliché; and the film's gimmick, though it prevents the plot from getting too boring, becomes tiresome quickly. This will probably end up being one of my shortest reviews, but there is almost nothing to talk about. The film lacks substance. I think I have figured out what the main issue with this picture is; this is a television movie that has been playing in cinemas. It has all the same trappings and trademarks as a cheap-entertainment TV special, but because it has been playing in cinemas it is being held to a higher standard. Though not an unwatchable film, A Dog's Purpose does little more than pass the time, and not in the most enjoyable of ways.

Grade: C-