Have to agree with a lot of this.
That said, there is an awful lot of research that does suggest that as a result of co-evolution and the resultant humanization of the canine species, dogs are capable of a higher and wider degree of emotional rapport with humans than many other domesticated animals. I don't believe that their motivation is to better us, at all... but I DO believe they make most of us better people by simply being the creatures that they are.
A movie that highlights that would be the better one to see in my opinion, but there are plenty of such stories already out there.
As for fantasy movies: I don't mind fantasy for the sake of true fantasy. To tell a story about the impossible, to let the imagination really run wild. I get cynical when I start to see fantasy applied in situations like this movie. My opinion is that the relationship we have with dogs is already wonderful enough, without the reincarnation mumbo-jumbo. Dogs will teach us incidental lessons in our lives for the duration we care for them.
Another reason the reincarnation angle bugs me is because I see it setting up a lot of people - children, particularly - for the expectation and subsequent disappointment that they would face if they lose one pet, only to have another come along that doesn't meet their expectations, because it isn't Sparky or Tammy or Buster come back again. Every dog, every pet, is different, and something unique and rewarding can be learned from all of them, no matter how "good" or "bad" they may be.
reply
share