“A Dog’s Journey” A Fine Sequel now on Blu-ray

 

 

 

Review by John Delia

Sweet and enjoyable, the heartfelt story of Bailey continues in A Dog’s Journey now on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The film has a lot of heart in a story of determination, persistence and love. With a great cast and crew, with a fine PG script, the film provides a good feeling for the whole family.

Ethan (Dennis Quad) and Hannah’s (Marg Helgenberger) farm has gotten a little crazy since their Daughter in Law Gloria and their 2-year-old granddaughter CJ came to live with them following the death of their son Henry. But, Gloria has been feeling the walls closing in and she wants to be on her own. Moving away however, has left Baily the family dog sad, especially since he has always been CJ’s protector.

 

 

After sometime Bailey is dying and in Ethan’s arms he tells him to take care of CJ. Time goes by and nine years later Bailey has come back from the dead as a female dog Molly living in an animal shelter. Escaping from the cage she is in, the dog spies grown up CJ and by happenstance. After permission from the shelter she gets to take Molly home where she sneaks the dog into her bedroom. Thus begins a relationship that evolves into other dogs as the film plays out.

Director Gail Mancuso takes a chance on the sequel of A Dog’s Purpose that was a critic’s favorite in 2017. That film landed over $2 million box office take worldwide so she needed a good film to equal that. She helms this one in a similar fashion to the previous director, but actually with a better story. This merry-go-round movie really works under her direction and the choice of cast is exceptional to the first film.

 

 

From the very beginning the feeling of love between Bailey and Ethan has never diminished and when Bailey dies, the tears start to roll. But Mancuso is very smart building up the comedy, adding antagonists and creating the lives of Bailey “future” in family acceptable form. When it’s time for the finale she has instilled a bond between the dog and audience making the film a delight to watch. It’s the finale however where you should be prepared to have several tissues handy as it becomes an emotional heartfelt tear jerker.

BONUS FEATURES

“A Dog’s Sequel”
“Everyone’s Best Friend”
“A Healing Journey”
“Scoring the Journey”
“Working with Dogs”
“Deleted and Extended Scenes”
“Gag Reel”
“Feature Commentary with Director Gail Mancuso”

A Dog’s Journey has been rated PG for thematic content, some peril, and rude humor. It’s now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy this movie, but if you are it’s an emotional love story you will never forget.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A very cool sequel for the whole family. (4 out of 5 Stars)

 

Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Josh Gad, Dennis Quad, Kathryn Prescott, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Henry Lau, Abby Ryder Fortson, and Ian Chen.
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic content, some peril, and rude humor.
Running Time: 1 hour and 48 minutes
Video Release Date: August 20, 2019
Original Theatrical Release Date: May 17, 2019
Language: English (changeable to Spanish or French, or Descriptive Video Service)
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: Dolby True HD 7.1
Video: 1080p Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Number of Discs: 2 Discs plus HD Code
Distributed by: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Released on: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD