“A Dog’s Journey” Movie Review

    This has been a very good year for dog movies (and Kleenex due to all the money they have probably made from their product wiping tears clear due to these films).  One such film happens to be the sequel to the film “A Dog’s Purpose”, aptly titled “A Dog’s Journey”.  The sequel is based on the novel by W. Bruce Campbell which focuses on the continued adventures of Bailey and his owner Ethan.  This is the second adaptation of one of Campbell’s books this year, the first being “A Dog’s Way Home”.

    The sequel follows Ethan, his wife Hannah, and his dog Bailey as they try and help their daughter-in-law Gloria and granddaughter CJ by letting them stay at their home and helping watching CJ.  Gloria is the widow of Hannah’s son and isn’t in the right state of mind to raise a child.  When Ethan and Hannah offer to look after CJ while Gloria tries to get her life back together, she thinks their gesture is a way of getting CJ and the insurance money CJ was left by her father.  As time goes on and Bailey grows older, Ethan tasks him with an important job of protecting CJ when he returns as another dog.  So, Bailey is given a new purpose as he journeys to find and protect CJ through his many lives as new dogs.

    Some people will consider this to be an overly sentimental sop fest, and it is, but it also works as such.  “A Dog’s Journey” pulls all the right heart strings if you have ever loved a dog who has passed away.  While perhaps not as effective if you have never had a dog, it still should leave you holding back the tears regardless.  Still, as much I love dogs, parts of the film felt one step above a Lifetime original movie.

    There were things I can nitpick about the movie and some of the issues were bigger than others.  Being a guy, I wasn’t a huge fan of how the film depicted men.  It wasn’t meaning to, but the film sort of depicted a majority of men as evil (which didn’t help it’s Lifetime movie vibe).  The movie really hammered in a lot of the foreshadowing as well which diminished the emotional impact of the revelations.  The film also seems to really have hard depicting the passage of time.  Some actors are given age makeup while others are not and the film seems to imply that technology and styles won’t change over the course of around twenty to thirty years.  It’s a little complaint but for someone detail oriented, it’s a little distracting.

    The film has done okay but hasn’t caught the box office by storm either and it will be unlikely to make what the first film made.  Perhaps it has to do with competition or maybe it is due to the controversy surrounding the first movie.  Regardless of the reasons it hasn’t made as much, the sequel is an overall worthy follow up to it’s predecessor.

    The film sees Dennis Quaid reprise his role as Ethan from the first film.  Josh Gad also returns as the voice of Bailey.  Marg Helgenberger replaces Peggy Lipton as Hannah from the first film.  Unfortunately, Peggy Lipton tragically passed away shortly before the film was released.  Part of the film is set in Michigan which is where I’m from so the film gets extra bonus points from me.

    “A Dog’s Journey” proves to be a fitting but sad ending to the story of Bailey the dog.  For anyone who has had a four legged friend who crossed over the rainbow bridge, this film will hit extra hard.  This film and it’s predecessor show the importance of friendship and the bonds we form with our furry companions.

Grade: B

"Benji" (1974) Movie Review

    I have seen countless movies and television shows that feature dogs.  I am a sucker for anything featuring a dog I guess.  Now, that doesn't mean I would professionally say all of those films and tv shows were quality, but I still manage to find some enjoyment on a personal level in just about anything featuring man's best friend.  Now, up until recently, I had not seen the original "Benji" film from 1974 but I was very aware of the Benji franchise.  Benji is one of those dogs who became so iconic that you likely knew the name even if you hadn't seen anything in the Benji franchise.

    I had owned various Benji films on DVD over the years but I never bought the original "Benji" for some reason.  It has always been a film I was curious about exploring and thankfully the kind folks at Mill Creek Entertainment were nice enough to provide me a review copy of their new Benji three film blu-ray release.  I was extremely excited and surprised to get the film(s) in the mail earlier this week.  As soon as I had time (which isn't something I have a lot of working at a grocery store close to full time as well as running my own e-bay store), I was super pumped to see "Benji" in this blu-ray release!

    A large reason "Benji" has remained so relevant over the years has been due to the enormous popularity of the first film forty-five years ago.  The film was a hit with audiences leading to sequels as well as a Benji film made by Disney.  "Benji" was also nominated for an Oscar for "I Feel Love" in the ‘Best Song’ category.

    "Benji" tells the story of an adorable mutt who the people around the town take care of by feeding and paying attention to.  Two young children take an extreme liking to Benji and want to take him in but their father is unwilling to welcome a dog into their house.  The two children get kidnapped and the key to finding them just so happens to be Benji.

    The thing I love about certain films of the 70s is that while it has become dated due to fashion and certain filming techniques, those same things also give it a certain charm that is almost impossible to replicate.  Though a family film, it has the same feel as the drive in theater hits of the era like “Walking Tall” and “The Legend of Boggy Creek”.  The music also has a very 70s vibe which I loved.  Seeing Tom Lester from “Green Acres” was also pretty fun.

    Joe Camp produced, wrote, and directed “Benji” and he had every right to be proud of his accomplishment.  There is an old adage from W.C. Fields to “never work with children or animals” but Camp seemed to take the statement as a challenge while making “Benji”.

    Benji serves as an adorable film lead.  From his floppy ears to his cute underbite, it’s easy to see why audiences fell in love with the cute mutt.  During the Hollywood Renaissance, a family friendly film like “Benji” must have seemed like a welcomed change to some.  It also served as a precursor to modern films like “A Dog’s Way Home”, “A Dog’s Purpose”, and the Netflix reboot of this very film.

    For film buffs and dog lovers, “Benji” remains a must see movie.  While some aspects of the film may have aged poorly, the relationship Benji shares with the people in town and his animal pals remains timeless.  It melts your heart seeing Benji share a montage with his girlfriend Tiffany and the scene helps showcase the talent of the four legged cast.

Grade: B+

Buy the "Benji" Three Movie Collection DVD and Blu-ray Set Here!!!

"A Dog's Way Home" Movie Review

    I am sure most people who know me would assume that I have spent my whole life around dogs and adoring them all.  I wouldn’t blame them if they did, I am a huge dog person now but that wasn’t always the case.  I never grew up around dogs.  The first dog my parents got was a Siberian Husky named Demon Flash Bandit when I was around 18 years old.  Before then, I was actually afraid of dogs due to an incident in which I was attacked as a kid.  I didn’t understand dogs then, but Demon (and later his adopted sister Angel) helped me understand and adore dogs.

    So, after all that has been said, naturally a movie entitled “A Dog’s Way Home” would be on my radar.  The film is based on a book by W. Bruce Cameron (author of “A Dog’s Purpose”) and tells the story of a dog named Bella who becomes separated from her owner and sets off on a long adventure to reunite with him.  It’s a simple story much in the same vain as “Homeward Bound”.  Throughout her journey home, Bella risks many dangers and gives up comfortable living alternatives in order to find Lucas, the human she loves and her owner.

    The film wasn’t reliant on human performances, instead focusing mainly on the dog Bella.  Bryce Dallas Howard voices Bella’s inner monologue.  Howard provides warmth and innocence to her voice work and helps you feel what Bella is going through.  I was surprised to Ashley Judd as the mother in the movie.  It seemed like yesterday in which she was the lead actress in many romantic comedies.  I must be getting old.  A standout performance in the movie, although brief, was that of Edward James Olmos.  Olmos gives so much to even small roles that he becomes easily one of the most complex characters in the movie, making the audience both hate him and feel a great deal of sympathy for him.

    “A Dog’s Way Home” isn’t for everyone of course.  It has a relatively simple story so anyone going to the theater to watch a film which creates a moral debate such as “Vice” should probably steer clear of this movie.  Also, if you don’t like dogs, you definitely should avoid this movie.  The core of this movie is based on the love humans and dogs share between each other.

    The film isn’t without some fault.  Now, this isn’t the movie’s fault per say, more the marketing department’s screw up, but too much was shown in the trailer for the movie.  It spoiled some elements that definitely could have been more surprising such as the relationship Bella forms with the cougar she meets.  The trailer also all but confirmed that Bella would be reunited with Lucas.  While that seemed like a given anyway, showcasing the scene to cap off the trailer seemed like massive overkill.  I have overheard a few people say that after watching the trailer, they felt like they watched the movie and they aren’t far off.  “A Dog’s Way Home” is still definitely worth seeing, but the marketing just seemed very counter productive.

    This film achieves it’s goals by delivering an overall cute film that showcases the bond humans and dogs have.  While it is easy to dismiss this crowd pleasing film complete with a predictable feel good ending as fluff, isn’t that part of the reason we go to movies?  Escapism is the main job of entertainment, to help make you forget your troubles for a few hours and make you feel warm and happy for a change.  Seeing characters go through struggles but overcome them helps give us motivation.

    I should also add that “A Dog’s Way Home” provides a much needed family fare alternative to some of the other movies currently in theaters.  It is also a pretty ideal movie to watch on a date if both individuals are dog lovers.  Why drag your girlfriend to a superhero movie she doesn’t want to see or drag your boyfriend to a romantic comedy he doesn’t want to see when you both could be happy seeing this movie.

Grade: B