A Dog's Purpose

Lasse Hallström's adaptation of W. Bruce Cameron's popular 2010 novel—a celebration of canine loyalty based on the weird premise that doggie souls are reincarnated to bring joy to their human owners (even those who have forgotten them)—is a shameless mixture of slapstick, melodrama, and cloying sentimentality. Following a brief prologue in which a stray puppy (voiced by Josh Gad) is picked up by animal control and presumably euthanized, the pooch is reborn as a Golden Retriever adopted by Ethan (Bruce Gheisar), who names the dog Bailey. Ethan grows into a teen heartthrob and star quarterback (now played by KJ Apa), but he suffers a football-ending accident, and faithful Bailey dies after his master goes off to agricultural college. The dog (always voiced by Gad) is reborn several times—first as a German Shepherd who becomes a heroic police dog, then as a Corgi who accompanies an initially lonely college student through a happy married life, and finally as a mutt that, after years of abuse, finds its way back to an older Ethan (Dennis Quaid), arranging a reunion with the latter's long-lost high school sweetheart. Even without the viral video showing one of the stunt dogs apparently being mistreated during filming, A Dog's Purpose would be an iffy prospect to join the ranks of classic canine movies. Still, there is always an audience for schmaltzy family movies about dogs, so consider this a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (10 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Lights, Camera, Woof!” (9 min.) and “A Writer's Purpose” (5 min.), and outtakes (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, UltraViolet, and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a schmaltzy dog flick.] (F. Swietek)