a dog's journey yorkie

Meet the dog thespians of 'A Dog's Journey,' a mutt method-acting masterclass

Spoiler alert! What follows reveals key plot points in "A Dog's Journey," though not the ending. You might want to see the movie before reading.

The pooch ensemble in "A Dog's Journey" (in theaters Friday) has serious acting chops.

These skills are required in the saga, a continuation of 2017's "A Dog's Purpose," which follows the spirit of Bailey as he's reincarnated into pup after pup (all voiced by Josh Gad ) before eventually passing to heaven.

The circle of life requires the full spectrum of canine emotion – from cuddly to consequential. Director Gail Mancuso, who has five dogs of her own, pulls Oscar-worthy performances from her canine thespians in a movie where there's a pooch in every scene.

For your consideration, we present the leading contenders:

Buddy brought the beautiful heartbreak early.

Boss dog Buddy (a Great Pyrenees/Bernese Mountain dog mix) was played by three lookalike dogs, but mainly Odin, the film's primary star. 

Odin was tasked with dying in the lap of Buddy's beloved owner Ethan (Dennis Quaid), which happens early in the film. It was already a Kleenex moment before Odin lifted his head for a final, soulful look into Quaid's eyes and faded. "That look was pure magic," Mancuso says. "That moment resonated with me, as I have experienced my own dog looking at me during our goodbye. It's a special bond."

'A Dog's Way Home':  How Shelby went from junkyard stray to Hollywood star

Molly was more than adorable energy.

The energetic Molly, who steps in to support the movie's human heroine CJ when her mom moves her away, was played by two Beagliers (a beagle crossed with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Lead dog Lemy showed parkour skills, bounding through backyard obstacles (down stairs, over a gate) to jump into young CJ's arms (played by Abby Ryder Fortson). "And then started licking my face all over," Fortson says.

But Lemy had to get tough later and "bite" the leg of the film's villain (Jake Manley). Dog trainer Bonnie Judd first taught Lemy to tug with a toy, then placed a pouch of meat in Manley's pant leg. "It's kind of like a pinata," Judd says. "The more they go at it, the more they get."

Firefighter says goodbye to rescue dog in viral post: Dog owners can relate because pets are family

Parting is such sweet sorrow for Big Dog.

Big Dog, played by an African Boerboel named Phil, has a small role, portraying a chance meeting with his spiritual owner CJ, now an adult played by Kathryn Prescott, in a roadside store. Phil hit his marks, and gave a hearty paw-shake. But the soulful-eyed dog hit dramatic paydirt when he bid farewell forever to CJ.

"When he's saying goodbye as he's leaving, it's so sad that it made me cry," Prescott says.

Related: The 25 most heroic dogs in America

Buddy and an adorable toddler make giddy magic.

Emma Volk was 2 when she shot her screen debut as Buddy's kid friend (and Ethan's granddaughter) in "A Dog's Journey." But her giggling chemistry with Odin's Buddy is magic, with dog and toddler clearly happy together in a way that goes beyond acting. "Emma just really loved the big brute, and it looks natural," Judd says.

Max's exit scene was tough even for the dog actor.

Rescue dog Max, CJ's adulthood dog, was played by four Biewer terriers. Belle, the character's primary actor, was so invested in her death scene, she had trouble letting Prescott's CJ tearfully sing to her.

"The first time, Belle really wanted to kiss her tears away, but after that she kept her head down and closed her eyes each time," Judd says. "It's a tough scene for any dog but Belle was still a super-hyper puppy. Yet she did exactly as I asked over and over again. On each cut, she would quickly kiss CJ and play."

A Dog’s Journey

Is “A Dog’s Journey” one of the sweetest canine films out there, or one of the meanest? While I generally favor the latter reading, the gentle sniffling mixed with occasional awws and chuckles that broke out during my screening suggests the majority of the audiences will understandably lean otherwise, as they did with the film’s 2017 predecessor, “A Dog’s Purpose.” In theory, this unconditional affection seems mighty unjust for a shameless family franchise that kills an average of four to five dogs per movie, sometimes, in unspeakably wretched fashions—seriously, where is John Wick when you need him? And yet, as visually uninspired and ideologically conservative as it may be, there seems to be something beguiling about the series that keeps one (including myself, admittedly) on a short leash. Turns out, very few are immune to the sneaky suggestion that certain dogs and humans are meant for each other for life.   

This is indeed the philosophy behind TV veteran Gail Mancuso ’s “A Dog’s Journey,” which follows in the paw prints of its Lasse Hallström-directed ancestor with its assembly line of doggie fatalities. (Every dog-loving cinephile’s most cherished website “DoesTheDogDie.com” must be having a field trip with these films.) And before you cry out “spoiler alert,” know that spelling out the mounting corpses of our four-legged furry pals in these tearjerkers is not exactly a wrongdoing. Adapted from W. Bruce Cameron’s best-selling novels, the pair of syrupy films follows a Buddhist philosophy, imagining a world in which a dog’s spirit reincarnates in the body of a new adorable puppy (somehow, voiced by Josh Gad even when it’s a female) and pursues its original human to eternity.

“Journey” picks up where “Purpose” had left off, dropping us on a tranquil Midwestern farm ran by the impossibly wholesome couple Ethan ( Dennis Quaid ) and his wife Hannah ( Marg Helgenberger ). Their carefree “Boss Dog” Bailey, a handsome Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog, runs around the picturesque fields and happily chases his own tail, while keeping a watchful eye on Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter CJ (affably played by Abby Ryder and Kathryn Presscott in later ages), parented by the couple’s heavy-drinking widowed daughter-in-law Gloria ( Betty Gilpin ). Bailey exits the picture soon enough—poor Boss Dog has a cancerous lump—but returns promptly in the body of Molly the mischievous Beagle, reuniting with the 11-year-old CJ to keep a promise he’s made to Ethan. Now living away from her grandparents with the negligent Gloria, CJ finds the kind of comfort and support every child needs in Molly.

Our determined pooch returns again and again as Bailey drops dead in a continuous loop: once, as the African Boerboel Big Dog living on a roadside convenience store (or, “a house made of snacks,” as he calls it), and then as the snippy Terrier Max. Meanwhile, CJ goes through her own transformation and finds herself in the unforgiving streets of New York City as a budding musician with a severe case of stage fright. A series of mean boyfriends—one, a dangerous stalker responsible for Molly’s horrific death—doesn’t help with her insecurity, until she stumbles upon her beloved childhood friend Trent ( Henry Lau ) and falls in love. (Guess what wet-nosed character masterminds the reunion with a paw shake and tail wag?)

Rest assured, there is sufficient amount of cuteness to go around in “Journey,” complete with dutiful canine humor around pooping, face licking, and the perpetual pursuit of food. But while the film engages with the sadness and despair of certain life crises head-on—an unexpected case of terminal illness is especially well-conceived in that regard—it strangely falls short of treating others with the empathy and seriousness they deserve. Written by Cameron, Maya Forbes , Cathryn Michon and Wallace Wolodarsky , the story is outright hostile to Gloria, a paper-thin character whose mourning and alcoholism receives a cruel one-dimensional treatment. A gold-digging ex-girlfriend of Trent suffers in the hands of a similar caricaturized vision. And yet, no one comes to a film like this, where the world is divided into absolute goods and evils, for nuance or subtlety. If you can look behind the flat visuals and prescriptive pleasantries of “Journey,” you might just get on board with its compelling-enough tale of lost souls, found and lifted up by their forever-loyal pooches. On this earth and beyond.

Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to  RogerEbert.com , Variety and Time Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, among other outlets.

• Marg Helgenberger as Hannah
• Jake Manley as Shane
• Dennis Quaid as Ethan
• Daniela Barbosa as Liesl
• Betty Gilpin as Gloria
• Kathryn Prescott as CJ
• Josh Gad as Bailey (voice)
• Ian Chen as Young Trent
• Abby Ryder Fortson as Young CJ
• Cathryn Michon
• Maya Forbes
• W. Bruce Cameron
• Wallace Wolodarsky
• Gail Mancuso
• Robert Komatsu

Cinematographer

• Rogier Stoffers

Writer (book)

Leave a comment, now playing.

Transformers One

American Crime Story: Aaron Hernandez

Speak No Evil (2024)

Saturday Night

The Killer’s Game

Girls Will Be Girls

The 4:30 Movie

Sweetheart Deal

Latest articles.

TIFF 2024: Table of Contents

TIFF 2024: Village Keeper, 40 Acres, Flow

TIFF 2024: The Shadow Strays, Friendship, The Shrouds

TIFF 2024: Babygirl, All We Imagine as Light, Queer

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

A DOGS JOURNEY – Review

The first A DOG’S PURPOSE was a gooey, family-friendly tear-jerker, but this 50-something dog-lover fell right into its heartfelt paws and it ended up on my top ten list of 2017’s best films. It told the story of one devoted dog who discovers the meaning of his own existence by dropping dead every half hour or so (after his life has run its course) and becoming reincarnated as a newborn pup with a diverse series of new owners. Josh Gaad voiced the hound and while the first film was like an episodic panorama of America as viewed through a dog’s innocent eyes, the sequel offers up a different narrative structure. A DOGS JOURNEY focuses on Clarity Jane (fortunately shortened to CJ), the step-granddaughter of Dennis Quaid’s returning Ethan, and all of the different dogs (who have the same soul and are again voiced by Gaad) who guard and comfort her through good and bad as she grows up. Does lightning strike twice for this franchise? I’m happy to report the answer to that question is a resounding yes. A DOGS JOURNEY is a surprise e, a sensitive and ambitious story well-told, and the best film I’ve seen this year

We first meet CJ as a toddler, living on the Michigan farm with her grandparents Ethan and Hannah (Quaid with Marge Helgenberger replacing Peggy Lipton), her recently-widowed young mother Gloria (Betty Gilpin), and the aging St. Bernard Bailey. Much to her parents’ dismay, Gloria is less interested in raising CJ than she is drinking wine and having fun. After an argument with the older couple, Gloria storms out with her daughter, but Ethan (who, you’ll recall, is in on this whole reincarnation thing) asks the dying Bailey to promise to keep cominging back as CJ’s life-long protector.

The next chapter finds 11 -year old CJ (Abby Fortson) now living in a house in Chicago with her mother Gloria, a boozed-up, disengaged mess. When not trying on tacky outfits, she offers her daughter misguided advice like “Life is harder when you’re chubby”, and leaves her alone to go out on dates. CJ adopts Molly, a beagle who helps get her through her teen years, not just the horrible dynamics with her mom but some rough times with a surly-bad boyfriend. Molly also develops the fine dog art of cancer-sniffing (which comes in handy later in the film). At some point in this chapter Kathryn Prescott takes over as CJ for the rest of the film and is quite good.

After Molly bites the dust, she comes back as a tubby Rottweiler named ‘Big Dog’ who lives in a rural convenience store in Tennessee with old Joe, who feeds him a steady diet of Slim Jims and Cheetos. This sequence does little to move the story, though it does establish that CJ is moving to New York City to start a singing career (she just happens to stop by this out-of-the-way store on her way there). It’s the shortest chapter but a sweet vignette.

Once Big Dog is out of the picture (likely from coronary disease), we come to the film’s final (and longest) chapter. CJ is now in NYC, living with her unsupportive boyfriend Barry (Kevin Claydon) working as a dog walker, writing songs and strumming her guitar (she lacks the self-confidence to actually audition for a gig). The dog’s soul has transmigrated to a Yorkshire Terrier named Max who has his work cut out for him. He must get CJ to dump Barry for childhood friend Trent (Henry Lau – who just happens to live in her building), believe in her musical career, reunite her with not only her mother, but also her grandparents, and he has to diagnose Trent’s cancer!

This all may sound mawkish, but even cynics will find their heartstrings well-tugged by A DOGS JOURNEY. Sure, the necessary scripted coincidences getting this same dog back to CJ as she crosses the country are contrived, but the stretches are forgivable under the circumstances. There’s a lot of story and characters and drama in the film and director Gail Mancuso does a great job keeping the balls in the air. Finally, to single out Dennis Quaid, always a terrific actor who can elevate the lamest of material (see my review of THE INTRUDER from just two weeks ago). Quaid has limited screen time in A DOGS JOURNEY, but the work he does with this great script is remarkable, especially in the final 10 minutes, when Ethan is in his mid-80s. Usually these types of aged characters don’t work, no matter the make-up artist’s skill, but Quaid nails the old coot in award-worthy fashion. A DOGS JOURNEY is one you can’t miss.

5 of 5 Stars

You may also like...

• Sundance Live
• SXSW 2010 Film Festival Live Coverage
• Twitter Feed
• WAMG Text Service

Copyright © 2013 Lanier Media

Latest News

Happy birthday to tom hardy and check out the new trailer for venom: the last dance, carrie-anne moss, douglas smith and frank grillo star in trailer for lowell dean’s apocalyptic thriller die alone, watch the trailer for director rachel morrison’s the fire inside starring ryan destiny and brian tyree henry, speak no evil – review, vampire family alert see the trailer for the radleys starring damian lewis and kelly macdonald, win a family 4-pack of passes to the st. louis advance screening of transformers one.

Review: ‘A Dog’s Journey’ goes deeper than its pedigree to offer unconditional love

• Copy Link URL Copied!

Engaging critically with Dog Movies can be a challenge for a critic. Who wants to be the crank who scoffs that the heartwarming animal movie is just too contrived and sentimental? But it can be hard to avoid, with the sickly sweet, pandering pabulum of “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Way Home.” Fortunately, “A Dog’s Journey,” the third in a trio of films adapted from W. Bruce Cameron’s novels, offers up an interesting, complex story into which we can sink our teeth. Directed by Emmy-winner Gail Mancuso (“Modern Family”), written by “Purpose” vets Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon and Wallace Wolodarsky, “A Dog’s Journey” has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Both “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” are metaphysical films that purport that the same dog spirit has been reincarnated again and again into different canine forms over its owner’s lifetime, always trying to make it back home. It’s a rather fantastically philosophical idea for a film that traffics in nostalgic heartland family values cheerleading. But it’s a fantasy dog lovers want to believe. Just look at Barbra Streisand, who has cloned her beloved dog — wouldn’t it be nice to think all dogs don’t actually go to heaven but get reincarnated into our next furry friends?

Bailey, the Saint Bernard from “A Dog’s Purpose,” reappears as a kindly older dog in “Journey,” the beloved pet of Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Bailey bonds with Ethan and Hannah’s toddler granddaughter, CJ (Emma Volk), while their daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin) grieves the death of CJ’s father in a car wreck. A selfish and vain woman, she impulsively leaves the family farm with her daughter, denying the grandparents any chance of seeing her again while tossing off vague accusations about CJ’s father’s life insurance policy.

Losing a beloved dog is a part of pet ownership, and as Ethan says goodbye to his friend Bailey for the final time, he implores the dog to find and protect CJ in his next lives, because she’ll need it. CJ grows up a sad, lonely girl (Abby Ryder Fortson and, later, Kathryn Prescott), but Bailey finds her again and again, as a beagle named Molly, a mastiff named Big Dog and, finally, a Yorkie named Max, who has the greatest influence on CJ’s life, and helps her to believe in the magic of the animal’s spirit.

It’s about halfway through the film when one realizes how much deeper Mancuso and team are going with this dog’s journey. This isn’t all romps in the tall grass and stories of puppy heroism or feats of strength — it’s about family trauma, death, domestic abuse, neglectful parenting, addiction and life-threatening illness. It’s about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave.

The whole schtick of these movies is the treat-motivated, not-quite-getting-it doggie voice-over, performed by Josh Gad , and it lightens the film. But going dark and emotional makes the film work better than the prior two. Because even among all the coincidences and twists of fate Molly and Max enact, what hits home the most is that dogs can offer people unconditional love when they need it most, and that has always been a dog’s purpose.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

-------------

‘A Dog’s Journey’

Rated: PG for thematic content, some peril and rude humor

Running time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Playing: Starts May 17 in general release

------------

[email protected]

@LATimesMovies

More to Read

For ‘Chimp Crazy’ director Eric Goode, ‘The end justifies the means’

Aug. 25, 2024

Review: Gender-swapped ‘Company’ revival dazzles, capturing the spirit of Sondheim

Aug. 3, 2024

Review: ‘Clue: Live on Stage’ reinvigorates the 1985 movie with mindless fun

Aug. 1, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Eric Roberts has no use for fame anymore. He just wants to work

Sept. 17, 2024

Review: ‘Look Into My Eyes’ is a compassionate profile of psychics, not out to scam but connect

Sept. 13, 2024

Review: In ‘My Old Ass,’ an uncertain teen speaks to her future self, with wry two-way wisdom

Chad McQueen, ‘Karate Kid’ actor and son of legend Steve McQueen, dies at 63

Most read in movies.

Review: ‘Longlegs’ walks in with a wintry moodiness, and its thrills are just getting started

July 19, 2024

Will Reeve of ABC News, Christopher Reeve’s son, has a cameo in new ‘Superman’ movie

July 3, 2024

Review: ‘Blink Twice’ plunges us into a potent fantasy island with a dark side that’s less clear

Aug. 22, 2024

The seven best films we saw at 2024 Telluride Film Festival

Sept. 4, 2024

Advertisement

Supported by

‘A Dog’s Journey’ Review: Good Boys (and Girls) on a Mission

• Share full article

By Glenn Kenny

• May 16, 2019

The preponderance of viral dog videos proves that the animals are sufficiently attractive, intelligent and resourceful that they don’t need stories about their reincarnation to entertain and warm hearts. Nevertheless, we now have “A Dog’s Journey,” the sequel to “A Dog’s Purpose” (2017), all about a multiple-incarnation pooch on a mission to protect a human.

We begin with the always-welcome Dennis Quaid, as a farmer with a strong bond to the shaggy St. Bernard/Australian shepherd mix Bailey. As Bailey is put to sleep, Quaid’s character begs the dog to look after his granddaughter CJ.

Among the many challenges in CJ’s then-toddler life is Gloria, a single mom possessed of more hostility than the entirety of Elvis Costello’s 1970s output. Gloria becomes a drunk and the older CJ adopts Molly, a delightful beagle/Cavalier King Charles spaniel mix who is, yes, possessed by the spirit of Bailey. (Josh Gad provides the cloying dog voice-over regardless of the gender of any individual beast.)

Adult CJ moves to New York and becomes Maggie Rogers with stage fright, or something like that. There, the new incarnation Max, a Yorkshire terrier, “improves” CJ’s life by making her homeless.

Directed by Gail Mancuso, the movie is packed with cardboard characters who only exist to check off bad-things-happen plot points. Stick around long enough and irritation may turn into incredulity as “Journey,” with the enthusiasm of a pep squad turning cartwheels, flips an increasing number of morbidity-skirting twists. Could you have predicted, when Molly learned how to be a cancer sniffer, that Max would retain that talent and use it to diagnose a central character?

I suppose it’s a genuine achievement that a movie packed with as much delightful canine (and agreeable human) talent as this one should be so insufferable.

Rated PG for mature dog themes. Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes.

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Michael Keaton Is Back : In “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the actor returns to a role now enshrined in pop culture  — with 35 years of ups and downs and an Oscar nomination under his belt.

Finally Getting the Girl (or Guy) : Western pop culture has often emasculated Asian male characters. A new crop of romantic lead roles  are starting to offer alternatives.

Eve Hewson Finds Her Own Fame : The actress, who is the daughter of the U2 frontman Bono, is not yet a household name herself, but that could soon change .

Streaming Guides:  If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Watching Newsletter:  Sign up to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows  to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 82% Speak No Evil Link to Speak No Evil
• 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 96% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge

New TV Tonight

• 90% The Penguin: Season 1
• 88% High Potential: Season 1
• 40% Frasier: Season 2
• 17% Emmys: Season 76
• 82% American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Season 1
• -- Agatha All Along: Season 1
• -- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Season 2
• -- Twilight of the Gods: Season 1
• -- Tulsa King: Season 2
• -- A Very Royal Scandal: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 61% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 99% Shōgun: Season 1
• 98% Hacks: Season 3
• 74% Kaos: Season 1
• 67% The Old Man: Season 2
• 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1 Link to Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Weekend Box Office: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Holds on to Top Spot

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

• Trending on RT
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Spanish-Language Movies
• Re-Release Calendar

A Dog's Journey

Where to watch.

Rent A Dog's Journey on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

A Dog's Journey is as sentimental as one might expect, but even cynical viewers may find their ability to resist shedding a tear stretched to the puppermost limit.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Gail Mancuso

Kathryn Prescott

Betty Gilpin

Dennis Quaid

Marg Helgenberger

Movie Clips

More like this, related movie news.

• Newsletters
• Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

Here Are All the Ways the Dog Dies—and Almost Dies—in A Dog’s Journey

If you saw A Dog’s Purpose two years ago, then you already have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting into with the movie’s new sequel: the corny dialogue, the contrived plot, the butt-clenching sense of dread …

Oh, what’s that? You thought A Dog’s Purpose was supposed to be an uplifting, family-friendly adventure, not a horror movie? Allow me to refresh your memory, then. The premise of A Dog’s Purpose is that a dog named Bailey is reincarnated over and over, in an endless cycle of suffering, while trying to figure out his reason for living. Inspiring? Perhaps. But this dog also dies so many times over the course of those two hours —from old age, euthanasia, even a gunshot wound—that dog lovers in the audience can only live in fear of what will kill Bailey next.

This vicious cycle continues into A Dog’s Journey , where this time Bailey’s mission is to protect CJ, the perpetually imperiled granddaughter of his most beloved owner from the first movie, Ethan. This proves just as harrowing as the events of the original, so if you’re going to subject yourself to this, you may want to read up on all the ways that Bailey dies (or very nearly dies), so you can be sure you’re up for every agonizing moment.

All the Ways the Dog Dies

1. The first dog, a St. Bernard/Australian shepherd mix named Bailey, is the same dog who survived the end of A Dog’s Purpose . He is euthanized in the barn by a vet after Ethan finds a lump on his belly.

2. The second dog, a beagle named Molly, dies after CJ’s no-good ex-boyfriend runs her car off the road, causing it to flip over. There’s no blood, but Molly doesn’t exactly die instantly, either.

3. The third dog, a droopy mastiff named Big Dog, wanders into a patch of forest to die of old age out of the sight of his owner, Joe.

4. The fourth dog, a Biewer Yorkshire terrier named Max, dies of natural causes surrounded by his loving family, finally having fulfilled his purpose.

Near-Death Experiences That the Dog Survives

1. Bailey (the St. Bernard/Australian shepherd mix) is almost kicked by an ornery horse.

2. A wheezing voice-over warns that when CJ hugs Molly (the beagle), she squeezes a little too tight, which had me worried that the dog might suffocate in her overeager owner’s arms.

3. When teenage CJ is arrested at a party where alcohol is being served, Molly gets sent to doggy jail, and I was paranoid that she might be euthanized as a result.

4. Big Dog (the mastiff) runs into the street to chase after CJ’s car. Thankfully, it’s an empty street.

5. Max (the Yorkie) easily has the most near-death experiences in the movie. The first is when he races into a busy New York City street while chasing CJ and a truck drives right over him—but he’s so small that the vehicle clears him, with Max passing narrowly between the tires.

6. Max rushes into an elevator, where his leash gets caught in the doors as the elevator begins ascending, nearly strangling him.

7. A dog rescue worker tells CJ that Max is scheduled to be euthanized the next day if he’s not adopted.

8. Max is part of a gang of dogs that are so much larger than he is I feared one might step on him.

9. Max develops a mysterious itch on his leg, which, given the earlier belly lump, was ominous enough to make the lady in the seat in front of me say, “Uh-oh.”

• Entertainment

‘A Dog’s Journey’ review: Fantastical tale comes with emotional bite

Movie review.

Engaging critically with Dog Movies can be a challenge. Who wants to be the crank who scoffs that the heartwarming animal movie is just too contrived and sentimental? But it can be hard to avoid, with the sickly sweet pabulum of recent films such as “A Dog’s Purpose.”

Fortunately, “A Dog’s Journey,” the third in a trilogy of novels from W. Bruce Cameron, offers up an interesting, complex story into which we can sink our teeth. Directed by Emmy-winning TV director Gail Mancuso and written by “Purpose” vets Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon and Wallace Wolodarsky, “A Dog’s Journey” has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Both “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” are metaphysical and philosophical films that purport the theory that the same dog spirit has been reincarnated again and again into different canine forms over its owner’s lifetime, always trying to make it back home.

Bailey, the St. Bernard from “A Dog’s Purpose,” reappears as a kindly older dog in “Journey,” the beloved pet of Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Bailey bonds with the couple’s toddler granddaughter, CJ (Emma Volk), while their daughter-in-law (Betty Gilpin) grieves the death of CJ’s father in a car wreck. A selfish and vain woman, she impulsively leaves the family farm with her daughter, denying the grandparents any chance of seeing her again.

Losing a beloved dog is a part of pet ownership, and as Ethan says goodbye to his friend Bailey for the final time, he implores the dog to find and protect CJ in his next lives, because she’ll need it.

CJ grows up a lonely, sad girl (Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathryn Prescott), but Bailey finds her again and again, as a beagle named Molly, a mastiff named Big Dog and finally, a Yorkie named Max, who has the greatest influence on CJ’s life, and helps her to believe in the magic of the animal’s spirit.

It’s about halfway through the film when one realizes how much deeper Mancuso and team are going with this dog’s journey. This isn’t all romps in the tall grass and stories of puppy heroism or feats of strength — it’s about family trauma, death, domestic abuse, neglectful parenting, addiction and life-threatening illness. It’s about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave.

The whole shtick of these movies is the treat-motivated, not-quite-getting-it doggy voice-over, performed by Josh Gad, and it lightens the film. But going dark and emotional makes the film work better than the prior two.

★★½  “A Dog’s Journey,” with Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Abby Ryder Fortson, Kathryn Prescott, Henry Lau, Betty Gilpin, the voice of Josh Gad. Directed by Gail Mancuso, from a screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon and Wallace Wolodarsky, based on a novel by Cameron. 108 minutes. Rated PG for thematic content, some peril and rude humor. Opens May 17 at multiple theaters.

Most Read Entertainment Stories

• Seattle musician Abbey Blackwell on leaving Alvvays, going solo
• Former Seattleite Jean Smart wins her sixth Emmy Award
• Jane's Addiction cancels its tour after onstage concert fracas
• Emmy winner John Oliver thanks his dearly departed dog
• Tito Jackson, member of beloved pop group the Jackson 5, dies at 70 VIEW

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘a dog’s journey’: film review.

In 'A Dog's Journey,' a sequel to 'A Dog's Purpose,' Kathryn Prescott joins the ensemble as a troubled young woman whom Bailey, the frequently reincarnated canine, keeps coming back to help.

By Leslie Felperin

Leslie Felperin

Contributing Film Critic

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

Centered on the soul of a loyal mutt (amiably voiced by Josh Gad ) who has the spiritual equivalent of a season ticket that keeps sending him back to earth after several deaths, A Dog’s Purpose and now its sequel,  A Dog’s Journey,  serve up a sugar-coated, bastardized form of Buddhism for pet lovers. They’re easy films to sneer and snark at, especially given that both, and the first one especially, trade in a certain kind of wholesome, backlit, wheat-field-swathed image of America (actually shot in Manitoba, Canada).

Even worse, both films are ruthlessly efficient when it comes to jerking tears. Some prideful viewers are likely to feel resentful over how well the pain of losing a beloved animal companion is evoked. The tools are nothing more complicated than a likable cast (that goes for the dog and human actors); competent direction (Gail Mancuso, who oversaw episodes of Modern Family and Gilmore Girls , takes charge of the leash in Journey  from Purpose ‘s Lasse Halstrom); a surging score by Mark Isham to punch up the plangency; and some corny but hugely relatable plot devices. Ivan Pavlov himself (the original guy who taught dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell) would be impressed.

Related Stories

Dennis quaid, stephan james, jai courtney, and esai morales enlist for sci-fi action movie 'war machine' (exclusive), dennis quaid says he doesn't "regret anything" about marriage to meg ryan.

Don’t tell anyone I said this, but the result is not only pleasingly emotionally purgative, but also has some elements worthy of genuine admiration, despite the fact that the third word in the title is one that should now be entirely banished from the English language for its precious, psychobabble connotations. Aside from that, the screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron (author of the novels on which both  Purpose and Journey are   based), Cathryn Michon, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky navigates competently between providing bereavement-based melodrama and butt-sniffing jokes, the twin poles of the Dog’s  mini-franchise. Along the way, with a story centered on a female protagonist this time, it quietly boosts a message of resilience and self-belief to young girl audiences, advising them that it’s always a smarter move to love nice boys and dogs rather than abusive jerks and pet haters.

Purpose  left off with our canine hero Bailey, at this point living in the body of a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog, reunited with both Ethan ( Dennis Quaid ), who was Bailey’s owner as a child back in the late 1950s, and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger), whom Ethan used to date when they were teens. As Journey  begins, sometime in the late 1980s/early 1990s, two new members of the family have moved into the Norman Rockwell-style clapboard farmhouse Ethan’s inherited: Hannah’s daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin, from GLOW ) and her toddler Clarity (Emma Volk), also known as C.J.

Bailey is, as per usual, mostly focused on bacon falling on the floor in this period. He doesn’t truly understand what’s going on when Gloria — grieving over the off-camera death of C.J.’s father, who was Hannah’s son, and also a budding alcoholic and unconfident mother who feels jealous of Hannah and Ethan’s bond with her daughter — decides to up and leave with C.J., citing unfounded suspicions that they’re after C.J.’s inheritance money. The dog misses his small, pork-product-dispensing companion, but gets on with life in his phlegmatic, doggy way. When the time comes for Ethan to have the now-aged Bailey put to sleep permanently (arguably the film’s most sob-inducing scene), he asks Bailey to keep an eye over C.J. in his future lives.

Conveniently, the universe contrives to help him do just that, bringing Bailey back first as a female Beaglier (beagle/King Charles spaniel cross) named Molly that ends up being adopted by C.J. (Abby Ryder Fortson), now 11 years old and fending for herself as best she can while Gloria works through a variety of unsuitable men, many glasses of chardonnay and her few remaining hopes of ever having a solo singing career.

The script, Mancuso and the cast, especially the deeply watchable Gilpin and engaging up-and-comer Kathryn Prescott (who takes over as C.J. once she’s past puberty) effectively limn the layered complexities of this dysfunctional single-mom/lone girl-child menage, which scars C.J. in ways that only a loving dog can compensate for. Gloria fat shames her, cuts her off from her grandparents and neglects her horribly, which leads to her dating a skeevy guy named Shane (Jake Manley) — who might as well have a T-shirt with “Potential Stalker” blazoned across it — instead of her sweet childhood friend Trent (first Ian Chen, then later on Canadian K-pop star Henry Lau), who is always there for her. The core romantic advice from the Dog’s  films seems to be “never date anyone you haven’t known since childhood.”

It takes a few reincarnations for Bailey before his soul (now encased by a Yorkshire terrier), C.J. and Trent to all end up in New York City (playing itself with swagger), where the plot veers for a while into a young-people-face-cancer story, in the manner of The Fault in Our Stars  and the like. This extra layer of morbidity adds an interesting spin on the two films’ ongoing preoccupation with death, raising the stakes by having not just the loss of a beloved pet in the offing, but also the loss of a beloved friend. Tellingly, both potential losses are seen as equally devastating.

Nevertheless, it’s best not to think too much about the moral logic of Journey  and where it stands on the respective value of humans versus other mammals and animals. Or about why Bailey keeps getting reborn and coming back to these particular people and not, say, Joe (Conrad Coates), the nice man who runs a gas station near Pittsburgh, with whom Bailey lives when he comes back for a while as an African Boerboel named Big Dog. After all, Joe treats Big Dog just as well as any of the other dog owners and lives, as the inner voice of Bailey exclaims happily, in a “house made of snacks.”

Distribution: Universal Pictures Production: An Amblin Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment presentation in association with Walden Media, Alibaba Pictures of a Pariah production   Cast: Kathryn Prescott, Abby Ryder Fortson, Emma Volk, Josh Gad, Betty Gilpin, Marg Helgenberger, Henry Lau, Dennis Quaid, Ian Chen, Jake Manley, Daniela Barbosa, Conrad Coates Director: Gail Mancuso Screenwriters: W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron Producer: Gavin Polone Executive producers: Seth William Meier, Lasse Hallstrom, Luyuan Fan, Wei Zhang Director of photography: Rogier Stoffers Production designer: Eric Fraser Costume designer: Pattie Henderson Editor: Robert Komatsu Music: Mark Isham Casting: John Papsidera

Rating PG; 108 minutes

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Jennifer lopez, brett goldstein to star in netflix rom-com ‘office romance’, newport beach film fest: peter sarsgaard set for performer of the year honor and live ‘awards chatter’ pod, lineup announced (exclusive), john cena to star in ‘matchbox,’ based on mattel car toyline, cillian murphy wrestles with taking on catholic church in ‘small things like this’ trailer, ‘the sims’ movie from ‘loki’ director kate herron lands at amazon mgm, josh brolin, peter dinklage are twins with criminal pasts in ‘brothers’ trailer.

• Movies & TV
• Featured Categories

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Return this item for free

We offer easy, convenient returns with at least one free return option: no shipping charges. All returns must comply with our returns policy.

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select your preferred free shipping option
• Drop off and leave!

Image Unavailable

• Sorry, this item is not available in
• Image not available
• To view this video download Flash Player

A Dog's Journey [DVD]

• Prime Video —
• Blu-ray $6.72

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together.

Customers who bought this item also bought

From the manufacturer

The story of A Dog's Purpose continues.

Some friendships transcend lifetimes. Picking up where A Dog's Purpose left off, Ethan's (Dennis Quaid) beloved dog Bailey (voiced again by Josh Gad) finds a new destiny: Protect Ethan's granddaughter CJ (Kathryn Prescott) at any cost. Bailey's adventure through multiple lives is filled with love, friendship and devotion as he and CJ experience joy and heartbreak, music and laughter, and a few really good belly rubs.

Meet the Characters from A Dog's Journey

Product description.

Some friendships transcend lifetimes. Picking up where A Dog's Purpose left off, Ethan's (Dennis Quaid) beloved dog Bailey (voiced again by Josh Gad) finds a new destiny: Protect Ethan's granddaughter CJ (Kathryn Prescott) at any cost. Bailey's adventure through multiple lives is filled with love, friendship and devotion as he and CJ experience joy and heartbreak, music and laughter, and a few really good belly rubs.

• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• A Dog's Sequel
• Everyone's Best Friend
• Working with Dogs
• A Healing Journey
• Scoring the Journey
• Feature Commentary with Director Gail Mancuso

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.39:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.4 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ B07RLDBW3P
• Director ‏ : ‎ Gail Mancuso
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, DVD, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 49 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 20, 2019
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Henry Lau, Kathryn Prescott, Dennis Quaid
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French Canadian, Spanish
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Gavin Polone
• Language ‏ : ‎ Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07RLDBW3P
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #1,807 in Kids & Family DVDs
• #2,642 in Comedy (Movies & TV)
• #3,515 in Drama DVDs

Videos for this product

Click to play video

A Dog's Journey

Merchant Video

Customer Review: raw deal

Steffan hembree

Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 90% 7% 2% 0% 1% 90%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 90% 7% 2% 0% 1% 7%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 90% 7% 2% 0% 1% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 90% 7% 2% 0% 1% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 90% 7% 2% 0% 1% 1%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

Very touching movie

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Registry & Gift List
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

A Dog's Journey (2019)

Full cast & crew.

Directed by 

Writing credits  , cast (in credits order) verified as complete  , produced by , music by , cinematography by , editing by , casting by , production design by , art direction by , set decoration by , costume design by , makeup department , production management , second unit director or assistant director , art department , sound department , special effects by , visual effects by , stunts , camera and electrical department , casting department , costume and wardrobe department , editorial department , location management , music department , script and continuity department , transportation department , additional crew .

Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs

Contribute to This Page

• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos
• User Reviews
• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

Film Review: ‘A Dog’s Journey’

Canine reincarnation is once more the narrative throughline of this gloopy, goofy, mostly good-natured sequel to 'A Dog's Purpose.'

By Guy Lodge

Film Critic

• ‘The Penguin Lessons’ Review: Steve Coogan Finds His Happy Feet in a Gentle True-Life Tale 7 days ago
• ‘Familiar Touch’ Review: An Exquisite Study of Living With Dementia That Puts Its Perspective In the Right Place 1 week ago
• ‘Love’ Review: Thoughtful, Grownup Norwegian Romantic Drama Accounts for Different Emotional Needs 2 weeks ago

You know things are bad for women in Hollywood when there’s one female dog featured in canine cutefest “A Dog’s Journey,” and it still gets to be voiced by Josh Gad. That is, admittedly, an unavoidable consequence of this family franchise’s curious Buddhism-for-beginners premise: the idea that one mind and soul can be carried through the bodies of multiple mutts over the course of eternity, with Gad as our perky spiritual ferry through repeated rounds of Rover reincarnation. As if to compensate, Gail Mancuso ‘s blandly agreeable sequel to the boy-focused 2017 hit “A Dog’s Purpose” reorients its human narrative around a young woman’s troubled road to love and self-fulfilment — via the trusty companionship of various devoted pups.

That aside, fans of the first film will be delighted to find the formula pretty much untweaked, with a steady stream of corn-syrup sentiment binding what would otherwise amount to a feature-length montage of adorable doggy reaction GIFs. Like the first film — which grossed over $200 million worldwide despite early controversy over on-set animal treatment — “A Dog’s Journey” largely succeeds in spite of its own ickiest instincts. Even as its storytelling hovers on the border between capable and risible, the film knows exactly which dog-lover buttons to push, particularly those nearest the tear ducts. Replacing “Purpose” director Lasse Hallström (who retains an executive producer credit) to make a rather anonymous debut feature, Emmy-winning TV veteran Mancuso (“Modern Family,” “Roseanne”) offers less prettified styling and more sitcom-style beats. Commercially, it should bark up equivalent numbers to its predecessor.

Related Stories

Netflix vs. YouTube: The Post-Streaming Wars Era’s Archrivalry

'Bachelorette' Winner Devin Strader Faced Past Arrest and Restraining Order From Ex-Girlfriend

Once more drawn from a novel by W. Bruce Cameron — who has a hand in the screenplay, along with three other writers — the new film picks up more or less where the previous one left off, with Bailey, a regal St. Bernard-Australian Shepherd cross, living out his golden years on an idyllic Michigan farm with doting master Ethan ( Dennis Quaid ) and his wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). New to the family are Gloria (Betty Gilpin, fresh from her breakout in TV’s “Glow”), the (gasp) dog-agnostic widow of Hannah’s late son, and her infant daughter CJ, whose future upbringing is a bone of contention between Gloria and her oppressively wholesome in-laws. When Gloria finally leaves, whisking CJ off to Chicago, Bailey dies not long after: In the dog’s final moments, and certainly the film’s most unabashedly weepy scene, Ethan orders its wandering spirit to look after his granddaughter.

Popular on Variety

While this franchise steers clear of any clear political affiliation, conservative family values predominate: Single motherhood, in particular, gets an unfortunate bad rap as Gloria, having turned her back on Ethan and Hannah’s heartland haven, swiftly turns into an abusive, daytime-drinking harpy. Good thing Bailey — now in the guise of eager beagle Molly — is on hand to help 11-year-old CJ through her adolescent years, complete with bad boyfriend trouble, burgeoning singer-songwriter ambitions and the steadfast support of best friend Trent (played as a child by Ian Chen, and later by K-pop heartthrob Henry Lau). (He loves dogs himself, just in case it weren’t entirely clear that he’s The One.)

After finishing school and falling out with her mom, it’s off to New York City for CJ, now played by appealing Brit actress Kathryn Prescott, of “Skins” fame. There, a different Bailey carrier — feisty Yorkshire terrier Max — sees her through assorted personal crises, all while nudging proceedings toward their plain-as-day, home-sweet-home conclusion. Along the way, the rather cluttered script goes through some high-stakes narrative pivots that subsequently leave almost no mark at all: A sudden, momentary shift into stalker-thriller territory is jarring, while the brisk introduction and resolution of a whole cancer subplot in ten minutes flat must be some kind of industry record.

Still, these are the few adult-oriented elements of Cameron’s novel that have survived the stringently PG-minded adaptation; darker, more intriguing themes of suicide and eating disorders have been shed like a dog’s winter coat. After all, it’d be hard to write pooch-perspective wisecracks about such matters, and harder still for Gad to deliver them in his constant, mollifying tone of aw-shucks optimism. Cameron’s books may not have been for children, but their film versions know on which side their doggy biscuits are buttered. That’s probably for the best, given the overall glibness of the human drama here, though Gilpin deserves credit for trying to carve some emotional complexities into her lightly drawn villain.

Otherwise, the bounding canine ensemble takes the prize for, well, best in show: The endless quips about bacon and butt-sniffing may wear thin, but it’s hard to take no joy in a film that treats a jowly boerboel chasing after a receding car much like a melodrama heroine left yearning on a train platform, as Mark Isham’s thick, stringtastic score slobbers away in the background. One wishes the film were a bit more inventive with its dog’s-eye view: the odd ground-level action shot aside, there isn’t much to cinematically suggest how animals see the world differently. (Surely a sequence that places one of Bailey’s incarnations in a recovery cone is crying out for a POV-based visual gag.) Mostly, however, “A Dog’s Journey” is content simply to point out how our furry friends are so like us — or, at the very least, a lot like Josh Gad.

Reviewed at Cineworld Wood Green, London, May 4, 2019. Running time: 108 MIN.

• Production: A Universal Pictures release of an Amblin Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment presentation of a Pariah production in an association with Alibaba Pictures Group, Walden Media. Producer: Gavin Polone. Executive producers: Seth William Meier, Lasse Hallström, Luyuan Fan, Wei Zhang. Co-producers: Holly Bario, Ian Dimerman.
• Crew: Director: Gail Mancuso. Screenplay: W. Bruce Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon, Wallace Wolodarsky, adapted from the novel by Cameron. Camera (color, widescreen): Rogier Stoffers. Editor: Robert Komatsu. Music: Mark Isham.
• With: Josh Gad (voice), Kathryn Prescott, Betty Gilpin, Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger , Abby Ryder Fortson, Henry Lau, Ian Chen, Conrad Coates, Jake Manley, Daniela Barbosa, Kevin Claydon.

More from Variety

Maná Pulls Nicky Jam Collaboration From Streaming Services Following Donald Trump Endorsement: We Don’t ‘Work With Racists’

Maybe Quibi Wasn’t Crazy: ‘Vertical Series’ Ventures Draw Small but Growing Audience

Donald Trump Mistakenly Introduces Male Latin Singer Nicky Jam at Rally as a Woman: ‘Do You Know Nicky? She’s Hot!’

Harris-Trump Debate: How to Watch the Political Showdown Live Online

How Much Should AI Giants Pay Hollywood? What Insiders Say Has Stalled Any Licensing Deals

Taylor Swift Beats Beyoncé’s Record for Most Solo MTV VMA Wins

More from our brands, sean combs indicted on sex trafficking, racketeering charges.

Everything We Know About ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3

Coach Prime Hype Peters Out as Colorado’s TV Ratings Crater

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

Sean Combs Indicted on Charges of Sex Trafficking and Racketeering

Movies | ‘A Dog’s Journey’ review: Sequel has the…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Music and Concerts
• The Theater Loop
• TV and Streaming

Things To Do

Movies | ‘a dog’s journey’ review: sequel has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Both “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” are metaphysical and philosophical films that purport the theory that the same dog spirit has been reincarnated again and again into different canine forms over its owner’s lifetime, always trying to make it back home. It’s a fantastical idea, and all rather Buddhist for a film that traffics in heartland family values nostalgia cheerleading. But, it’s a fantasy dog lovers want to believe. Just look at Barbra Streisand, who has cloned her beloved dogs — wouldn’t it be nice to think all dogs don’t actually go to heaven, but get reincarnated into our next furry friends?

Bailey, the St. Bernard from “A Dog’s Purpose,” reappears as a kindly older dog in “Journey,” the beloved pet of Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Bailey bonds with Ethan and Hannah’s toddler granddaughter, CJ (Emma Volk), while their daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin) grieves the death of CJ’s father in a car wreck. A selfish and vain woman, she impulsively leaves the family farm with her daughter, denying the grandparents any chance of seeing her again while tossing off vague accusations about CJ’s father’s life insurance policy.

Losing a beloved dog is a part of pet ownership, and as Ethan says goodbye to his friend Bailey for the final time, he implores the dog to find and protect CJ in his next lives, because she’ll need it. CJ grows up a lonely, sad girl (Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathryn Prescott), but Bailey finds her again and again, as a beagle named Molly, a mastiff named Big Dog and finally, a Yorkie named Max, who has the greatest influence on CJ’s life, and helps her to believe in the magic of the animal’s spirit.

It’s about halfway through the film when one realizes how much deeper Mancuso and team are going with this dog’s journey. This isn’t all romps in the tall grass and stories of puppy heroism or feats of strength — it’s about family trauma, death, domestic abuse, neglectful parenting, addiction and life-threatening illness. It’s about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave.

The whole schtick of these movies is the treat-motivated, not-quite-getting-it doggie voice-over, performed by Josh Gad , and it lightens the film. But going dark and emotional makes the film work better than the prior two. Because even among all the coincidences and twists of fate Molly and Max enact, what hits home the most is dogs can offer people unconditional love when they need it most, and that has always been a dog’s purpose.

“A Dog’s Journey” — 2.5 stars

MPAA rating : PG (for thematic content, some peril and rude humor)

Running time : 1:48

Opens : Friday

More in Movies

Movies | Irish American Movie Hooley hits the 10-year mark with 3 winning films

Movies | ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is No. 1 again; conservative doc ‘Am I Racist’ cracks box office top 5

Movies | Column: At the Film Center, 4 reasons why democracy’s always on the verge of a nervous breakdown

Movies | ‘Speak No Evil’ review: Invited to the countryside? Have some reservations

Trending nationally.

• Camp Pendleton Marine who made and sold ‘ghost’ rifles sentenced to prison
• Suspect in apparent Trump assassination plot hit with weapons charges as authorities seek answers
• Murder trial begins for Lisa Snyder, the woman accused of killing 2 of her children
• National Cheeseburger Day 2024: Where to find deals
• Pickleball’s ‘bombardment of noise’: Rule-breakers and fence climbers at Saratoga courts lead to $100,000 soundproofing and lock costs after neighbor complaints

'A Dog's Journey' gives fantastical trilogy emotional bite

Engaging critically with Dog Movies can be a challenge for a critic. Who wants to be the crank who scoffs that the heartwarming animal movie is just too contrived and sentimental? But it can be hard to avoid, with the sickly sweet pandering pabulum of recent films like "A Dog's Purpose" and "Dog Days."

Fortunately, "A Dog's Journey," the third in a trilogy of films adapted from W. Bruce Cameron's novels, offers up an interesting, complex story into which we can sink our teeth. Directed by Emmy-winning TV director Gail Mancuso, written by "Purpose" vets Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon, and Wallace Wolodarsky, "A Dog's Journey" has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Both "A Dog's Purpose" and "A Dog's Journey" are metaphysical and philosophical films that purport the theory that the same dog spirit has been reincarnated again and again into different canine forms over its owner's lifetime, always trying to make it back home. It's a fantastical idea and all rather Buddhist for a film that traffics in heartland family values nostalgia cheerleading. But it's a fantasy dog lovers want to believe. Just look at Barbra Streisand, who has cloned her beloved dogs — wouldn't it be nice to think all dogs don't actually go to heaven but get reincarnated into our next furry friends?

Bailey, the St. Bernard from "A Dog's Purpose," reappears as a kindly older dog in "Journey," the beloved pet of Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Bailey bonds with Ethan and Hannah's toddler granddaughter, CJ (Emma Volk) while their daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin) grieves the death of CJ's father in a car wreck. A selfish and vain woman, she impulsively leaves the family farm with her daughter, denying the grandparents any chance of seeing her again while tossing off vague accusations about CJ's father's life insurance policy.

Losing a beloved dog is a part of pet ownership, and as Ethan says goodbye to his friend Bailey for the final time, he implores the dog to find and protect CJ in his next lives, because she'll need it. CJ grows up a lonely, sad girl (Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathryn Prescott), but Bailey finds her again and again, as a beagle named Molly, a mastiff named Big Dog and finally, a Yorkie named Max, who has the greatest influence on CJ's life and helps her to believe in the magic of the animal's spirit.

It's about halfway through the film when one realizes how much deeper Mancuso and team are going with this dog's journey. This isn't all romps in the tall grass and stories of puppy heroism or feats of strength — it's about family trauma, death, domestic abuse, neglectful parenting, addiction and life-threatening illness. It's about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave.

The whole schtick of these movies is the treat-motivated, not-quite-getting-it doggie voice-over, performed by Josh Gad, and it lightens the film. But going dark and emotional makes the film work better than the prior two. Because even among all the coincidences and twists of fate Molly and Max enact, what hits home the most is dogs can offer people unconditional love when they need it most, and that has always been a dog's purpose. 'A DOG'S JOURNEY' 2.5 stars Cast: Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Josh Gad, Abby Ryder Fortson, Kathryn Prescott, Henry Lau, Betty Gilpin. Directed by Gail Mancuso. Running time: 1 hour, 48 minutes. Rated PG for thematic content, some peril and rude humor.