By Emilio Frenk.
Director: Lasse Hallström
Cast: Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, K.J. Apa,, Peggy Lipton, Britt Robertson, Logan Miller, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby and John Ortiz.
Rating: Poor.
Academy Award Director Nominee Lasse Hallström bring another movie related with animals and does it with “A Dog´s Purpose” and unfortunately the results were very poor.
Based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron, “A Dog´s Purpose” tells the story of a dog (Josh Gad) who is in a body of Golden Retriever who bonds with a boy named Ethan and names him “Bailey”.
The two become inseparable but eventually when Ethan grows into a teenager, Bailey grows old, gets ill and passes away.
The spirit of the dog reincarnates in different breeds of dogs and it will lead to a journey of self discovery and the purpose of life for the canine creature.
The major problem that I found in “ A Dog´s Purpose” overall was the screenplay. The screenplay written by Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky gave to much information, which also didn´t make sense and made thethe movie slow to the point that led to boredom.
I stopped caring in the moment that the dog went to other breeds. I know that is the main plot of the film but I think it would have been a good movie if the writers would have stayed to how it started and be more focused in the relationship between the Golden Retriever and Ethan.
Yes, as a dog lover there were moments that I was touched and moved but overall the movie didn´t cause a huge impact to me.
This movie had everything to deliver the goods, but the execution of the script and a lame direction by Swedish director Lasse Hallström was the result of it.
I´m surprised about the direction of Lasse Hallstöm who knows how to direct this kind of movies. We saw it in “My Life as a Dog”, “What´s eating Gilbert Grape” and “The Cider House Rules” where he knew how to connect with the audience with true and deep characters and those stayed in our hearts and became memorable.
In this early 2017 my conclusion with “A Dog´s Purpose” is that is a huge disappointment and I cannot recommend it.
I invite you to leave your comments at emilio.frenk@gmail.com or my twitter @FrenkEmilio.