A Dog’s Purpose-Kids’ movie review

“Why am I here? What’s the purpose?” That’s what a curious dog named Bailey (voice of Josh Gad) often wonders. Bailey is reincarnated several times over the course of five decades. The dog keeps its memories and adorable personality, however his name changes and he becomes different breeds and genders. We see Bailey grow up with a young boy named Ethan, his best friend and companion. When Ethan goes off to college Bailey passes away. He’s reincarnated and has new owners, but no one he loves as much as Ethan. The dog discovers the meaning of life through its many lives and the humans whose lives he touches. A Dog’s Purpose is a wonderful and charming film for the whole family.

Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: May 2, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids/ Teens Like It?  Yes

Talking Points:

The film highlights the importance of love and companionship; for humans and animals.

Sexual Content: Mild

• We see a couple kiss passionately throughout the film.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

• A high school bully drops fireworks through his rival’s front door mail slot, starting a horrific fire.
• A middle aged man, who’s an alcoholic, forcefully pushes his wife to ground.
• There’s an intense scene with a police officer and his trained dog. They are pursuing a man who has kidnapped a girl. The girl is pushed over a bridge into the water. The dog rescues the girl but he gets shot and dies. We see his bloody wounds.
• We see a man mistreat his girlfriend’s dog. Chaining him outside in the cold weather and never letting him enter their home.
• We see deaths of various versions of Bailey. They are brief, but heartbreaking.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate

• One of the main characters is an alcoholic. We see him drinking beer and sipping from a flask. He becomes depressed and aggressive.

Will Kids/ Teens Like It?  Yes

Overall, parents need to be aware of the heartbreaking and the violent/upsetting scenes. Having said that this is a wonderful and warmhearted film. Depending on the child, this is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.

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