They are man’s bestfriend. Each of us, at some point in our lives, had one (or in my case, three dogs!) These dogs were initially just our pets but as we spent more time with them, they grew to become our buddies then family. Last year, my two bestfriends- Yui and Rocky- both passed away with few months in between. I will not lie, those incidents got me in a depressive state. I was under a grieving state for a few months and got out of it only recently. So, when I received the invite to SM Cinema and Columbia Pictures’ special screening of A Dog’s Way Home, I had to think for a moment whether I’d be emotionally-ready for it. Luckily, the movie had a different route than what I was expecting and it was rather sweet. Continue reading to find out whether A Dog’s Way Home found its way to my heart.
Contents
Meet Bella
Majority of the movie was narrated by the star of the show- Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas-Howard). We initially met her as an abandoned puppy but she grew right before our eyes as a mature dog. A loving family adopted her and treated her a family member. She found her person Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King) and everything is cheery from then on. Or so we thought. To dodge threats of being pounded, her family agreed to move her out of state and this is where the true conflict began.
Bella is now hundreds of miles away from home and she had to go home to her human. Through the forest and through several winters, the adventure she partook in brought us, audiences, through highs and lows. Part of me had to remind myself that this was sourced from a children’s book not to disappoint myself. While some narratives seemed silly, there were some that really struck my emotional nerves. And one of which is the deep connection between two animals. You’d have to see that for yourself, Binger!
The Adorability and Whatnot
Sure, for a dog movie, the plot must be kept at the simplest. Complicate matters and they would come off trying too hard. The problem with the film, however, is the sheer predictability of the movie. Heck, the title says it all. Is Bella going to make it home? Shocker! Setting my need for something fresh aside, the story and the acting felt monotonous. It is hilarious that the creatures gave more range than some of the actors involved. At some point it had me wishing under my breath, “just give us more scenes with the dogs, please?”
There come a time when the adorability of the dog ran out to carry the blandness of the story. But hey it’s just me. And okay, Bingers. I may have sound agitated there but trust me, it’s out of my desire for the film to become more than just a “cute movie about a dog.”
Should you see it? If you have a dog, sure! Did A Dog’s Way Home find its way to my heart? Well, it was a rough path but somehow, yes.
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Cast: Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, and Alexandra Shipp
Binge-level: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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