A Dog’s Journey

The canine body count continues in this sequel to 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose – which began with a puppy being euthanized before having to endure several more deaths until finding happiness with Dennis Quaid on a Michigan farm. A Dog’s Journey picks up that story with the surprising revelation that Quaid’s character might have managed to have a kid in his fifties after Bailey the Dog reunited him with his old love Hannah (now Marg Helgenberger replacing Peggy Lipton, which is also sad). This sequel mainly sets up a timeline that’s even more confusing than Avengers: Endgame. It’s also another cloyingly sweet and heartbreaking saga as Bailey’s spirit (voiced by Josh Gad doing a Ryan Reynolds impersonation) is once again snuffed multiple times while trying to protect Ethan’s granddaughter C.J. – whose purpose in life seems to be turning into a living Chick tract. There’s nothing subtle about this being a stealth Christian film series, with Quaid taking the leading man role usually meant for Kevin Sorbo. As a sequel, however, the multiple deaths are more interesting than in Happy Death Day 2U.

[PG]