A Dog's Purpose

A welcome, woofy warning against human speciesism.

This remains a textbook example of what the website Snopes.com refers to as "glurge" -- the kind of gooey uplift associated with the novels of Nicholas Sparks and their film adaptations.

It's hard not to be charmed by the film's pack of hyperactive, wriggling puppies, but there's only so much time to be spent watching them play before it becomes eye-wateringly banal.

While the canine performances are impeccable in A Dog's Purpose, this family movie is more of a dog's breakfast in terms of construction and tone.

This film has drama, humour and pathos.

Innately sweet, due to the high number of fluffy animals, but it has the gloopy emotion and silly plotting of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Nicholas Barks, if you will.

Lasse Hallström once again provides theater-goers with some food for thought in A Dog's Purpose. Of course, the food tastes better out of the trash and bacon from under the table is just the best.

It's a safe family film that's a heart tugger for dog lovers.

The problem with that premise is you have to watch a dog die 5 times, which is like Marley and Me times 5.

This film fails to earn a single emotional reaction of its own merit. Instead it preys on sadness offering little in return but misery and saccharine sentimentality.