A Dog’s Purpose: Cool canine caper

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, Josh Gad, KJ Apa

Rated: 6.5/10

For dog lovers, an Oh-My-God kind of a film. For others, a so-sweet one. For yet others, “that one was better, remember?” thing.

But in between these three tags, the film based on a book by W Bruce Cameron, is a lightly funny family drama centred around a dog who is philosophical about its purpose in life, lives four differently enabled lives, remembering each one of them distinctly, and finally returns as a neglected St Bernard to the original owner with whom he grew up much to the mirth of both.

In between, there are anecdotal, sometimes happy, sometimes snappy, sometimes unhappy lives of a stray puppy, a German shepherd K-9 police dog, Tino, and a chubby 1980s Corgi before the St Bernard returns to stay. Much of the meat of family life in the 1960s and 1970s makes up the film which is cute, happening and emotional about canines. It’s an endearing slice of America through the ages and through the eyes of a committed dog, which is rare though Hollywood has gone through catchy capers on dogs through dog’s lives, through animal kingdoms and through animations around this urban pet.

This one is a tad different as it tries to languidly find the purpose of being this loving pet and finds it too. The embedded humour, the intangible love, the situations through which families and individuals pass, come as an engaging capsule unfolded by the dog. A must-see watch with the family, especially for dog lovers.

Source: Sunday Pioneer, 2 April 2017