A dedicated dog discovers its true purpose through the lives of the humans it teaches to snort and love. Reincarnated as a couple of canine over the direction of 5 decades, the lovely pooch develops an unbreakable bond with a kindred spirit named Ethan
The climatic shenanigans give rise to full-blown schmaltz when the retriever starts to play matchmaker in order to reunite his first master (Dennis Quaid) with his former girlfriend.
By the end, I was worn out by all the selfless devotion, all the joyous running across meadows and wheat fields while the camera soars as high as a dog's love for his human.
As any film aimed at children but potentially traumatizing for them might be, "A Dog's Purpose" is at odds with itself, straining to balance the levity of poop jokes with the tragedy of loss.
"A Dog's Purpose" left me cherishing my borderline-venerable Skeezix; longing to see Scamp and Fluff and Sukoshi and Sally, the dear departed dogs of my life; and wishing I could have been reincarnated as a better master than I was.
A manipulative script about dog reincarnation that whacks your emotions like a piñata - that's forgivable. But no mercy for a film charged with canine abuse behind the scenes. It shouldn't happen to a dog.
So, you too take inspiration for the sentient doggy and ignore the gaping holes in the film's own logic and choose to swim against the torrid current of reason (much like that poor dog).
