A Dog’s Purpose is 2017’s Collateral Beauty (I know it’s early, but I’ve got no better comparison). Holy shit. Killing multiple canine companions under the guise of reincarnation does not make for an uplifting watch, especially when most rebirth “chapters” stand alone. “But it’s fine! Josh Gad’s voice will fill another fleshy dog sack, and we’ll be looking at more cuddly adorableness against shortly!” Oh, I know! That’s established by a nice puppy euthanasia scene within the first minute-or-so. No! You don’t get to play that card. Everyone involved understood the stakes, and knew that audiences would be reduced to weepy blobs every time another pup bit the dust. This is manipulation at its finest, without the incentive to keep sobbing through the pain.

So, yeah – Josh Gad plays the soul of a dog who cannot die. He talks a lot about his purpose,...