A Dog's Journey (2019)

A Dog's Journey is pretty much the same film as its predecessor A Dog's Purpose, the story of a reincarnating dog who keeps coming back to the same family. In this case, the dog keeps returning to the granddaughter of the boy in the first film. Like that film the family goes through their drama and all along the dog is there to make it all well again.

Yes the film is cheesy dog propaganda and yes the film is manipulative and generally poorly made (wooden acting, awkward writing, filmed like a TV movie) but a dare you not to get into the journey of Bailey through numerous lifetimes and his desire to keep this family together. Everything is a cliche in this film from the high achieving asian character to the drunk single mother. The film's logical leaps are astounding and the plot's coincidences are almost unforgivable. It's not a good film but it is a good experience despite itself.

Because at the centre of A Dog's Journey is a heart. I'm almost pissed at myself for letting myself enjoy such a film. But I did despite myself.

A Dog's Journey
Starring: Kathryn Prescott, Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Henry Lau, Betty Gilpin
Director: Gail Mancuso
Writers: W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon, Maya Forbes, Wally Wolodarsky