Film

The Newest ‘A Dog’s Journey’ Trailer Wants You To Meet A Very Good Boy

Dogs everywhere!

by Joseph Earp  30 January 2019
A Dog's Journey is here to make you cry

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It is my longheld belief that literally any film you could name would be improved if it was recast entirely with dogs. Citizen Kane? Better with dogs. The Shawshank Redemption? Better with dogs. Fargo, The Force Awakens, Indiana Jones… the list goes on and on.

All of which is a way of saying that there’s a new movie coming out called A Dog’s Journey (it’s the sequel to the 2017 weepie A Dog’s Purpose) that stars a dog, and thus that it’s not even necessary to sit through the film’s trailer in order to be convinced that it is a masterpiece that you should watch at the cinema ten to twelve times.

But hey, watch the trailer for an opportunity to get some good doggos in your day, and then meet me underneath and we’ll talk about it, okay?

First up, it was kinda cruel for the production team behind A Dog’s Journey not to tell Dennis Quaid he was starring in a movie, hey? The storied actor genuinely looks like he is half a second away from wandering off-set to attend to his taxes; there is a cold, quiet resignation to his eyes that I’m weirdly here for.

Secondly, all that dog reincarnation stuff is — confusing! Apparently, it’s a key feature of the book A Dog’s Journey is based on, as it was a key feature of A Dog’s Purpose but still; weird!

One moment you think you’re watching a modern-day spin on Homeward Bound, the next you’re being forced into an existential crisis because you’re being told that dogs can think in English, but can’t speak. (Isn’t that some kind of hell? To have the ability to communicate but not the vocal chords?)

Also, the reincarnation aspect means, as was the case with the original, that you should get emotionally ready to witness a confusingly large number of dog deaths for a film that purports to be for children.

Then, finally, does anyone else get a weirdly… spiritual vibe from this trailer? Nothing about it is explicitly tied to any one religion, but ho boy, do I get the strange feeling that I’m being proselytised to when that music starts, and all that magic hour cinematography gets brought out.

Also, I’m sure all this sounds like I’m trying to not-so-subtly neg A Dog’s Journey, but I’m genuinely not; as established, the film stars an excellent dog, so I will be camping out to see it before the cinema doors even open.

A Dog’s Journey hits Australian cinemas on May 16, and stars Quaid, Josh Gad and Betty Gilpin from Glow.