MovieChat Forums > Turner & Hooch (1989) Discussion > To those that defend the ending

To those that defend the ending

posted 10 years ago by Petals121
6 replies | jump to latest

Yes dogs die, death exists etc. But the reason this particular death fails and is so horrible is because the movie had been a comedy up to that point. Yes there were murders and such but the movie was still basically a comedy. The dog doing funny dog things. Being adorable. Turner becoming more attached to the dog as the movie progressed simply because the dog was so amazing.

And then BAM they kill the dog. I mean, what the hell? It just came out of nowhere and it just didn't fit with the tone of the film.

And yes there were puppies at the end but so what? Turner had died. It's like saying that it's ok that your pet has died, you have puppies now. No the pet still died. You can't just replace it with a puppy or a kitten. it doesn't work that way.

[–] post-orgasmic-mood 10 years ago

I dont think it came out of nowhere. In saying that, I havent look at it with fresh eyes since i was 10 years old.

Comedies are sometimes where I cry the most. I never cried so hard than when I watched an episode of Fresh Prince, and that was a comedy.

Killing the dog made the movie more memorable and Tom Hanks got to act a little seriously which is always nice. It wasnt the dog dying that made me cry, it was Tom Hanks crying that did it.

No power in the verse can stop me

[–] Khitt66 9 years ago

It's like saying that it's ok that your pet has died, you have puppies now. No the pet still died. You can't just replace it with a puppy or a kitten. it doesn't work that way.

... That's like saying a father can't love his baby just because the mother died in child birth.  Not to equate a dog to a human but the emotional connection still exists. He's not replacing Hooch. He's simply remembering him through Hooch's child. It's common with owners to adopt relatives of the dog that passed away.

[–] angel1008 9 years ago

I hated that they killed Hooch. That part gets me. However, that being said, it made sense. Here was this slobbering, untrained, dirty canine, who appeared to be nothing but trouble for Turner. But, his bravery at the end is what showed Turner how amazing he was, and what a bond he created with him. It made it very special.

[–] king_of_bob 9 years ago

Yes dogs die, death exists etc. But the reason this particular death fails and is so horrible is because the movie had been a comedy up to that point. Yes there were murders and such but the movie was still basically a comedy. The dog doing funny dog things. Being adorable. Turner becoming more attached to the dog as the movie progressed simply because the dog was so amazing.

What you're saying is objectively wrong. The suggestion that comedies can't be deeply emotional is wrong. Is the movie less of a comedy because Hoochs owner was murdered at the beginning of the movie? No. So why does a death at the end of the movie change the entire movie? The answer is, it doesn't.

Hooch's death completes his arc as a character. He sacrifices himself for Turner, something he would not have done at the beginning of the movie.

And then BAM they kill the dog. I mean, what the hell? It just came out of nowhere and it just didn't fit with the tone of the film.

No it didn't come out of nowhere. If you honestly think that, you have NO CONCEPT of writing and should stop commenting right now. It fit the film perfectly, if you understand character arcs.

And yes there were puppies at the end but so what? Turner had died. It's like saying that it's ok that your pet has died, you have puppies now. No the pet still died. You can't just replace it with a puppy or a kitten. it doesn't work that way.

Turner didn't die. Hooch taught Turner to love animals. Pets do die. It's unrealistic to expect Turner to not want to be around dogs when the woman he ended up marrying was a vet.

The puppy isn't a REPLACEMENT for Hooch. That was not the intention or implication.

The new home of Welcome to Planet Bob: http://kingofbob.blogspot.ca/

[–] Foster (878) a year ago

Perfect Ending

Snooty,Snobby young guy, and hook him up with a dog like thAT for a week or so and he loves the mut so much, He cries when the dog dies for him

Then gets married to the vet who has dogs BUT he goes out and finds one just like Hooch

[–] AmeriGirl26 (15124) a year ago

Believe it or not, the film would have been awful if they hadn't included the "Hooch" puppy at the end. See, you at first cry because you've learned to like Hooch throughout the film and then he dies defending Turner during the climax. It's particularly tear-jerking to watch Hooch comforting the doggy in his last moments, after spending the entire film first loathing Hooch, and later learning to like him.

So to see the puppy at the end, who behaves just like Hooch, and even looks like him, is kind of like saying that a small part of Hooch lived on and gives Turner a second chance, even if it's not the exact same dog as the previous one. In a small way, it's like Hooch got reincarnated, even if that wasn't actually what happened.