Heartwarming, but like, actually Heartwarming I loved this, and I'm usually one of those people who doesn't like talking pet movies. This one felt different to me.
First of all, it was actually heartwarming, and I know that term gets thrown around a lot in the wrong contexts so I'm very cautious to use it. But it was. It struck all the right emotional chords with me and I found it truly touching.
I think it helped that the lead actress was absolutely ravishingly beautiful, and not in a glamorous or seductive way, but in a wholesome goddess way. She radiates grace. Her son was also quite cute and his fondness for the dog really translated. Likeability of the main characters goes a long way in making the story better, and I found this movie perfectly showcased them in a loving light.
I was also a big fan of the graphic transitions they used to illustrate the reincarnation and the infinity symbol of the ring. Although it felt heavily 90s, this isn't a bad thing because this was one of my favourite decades for this type of aesthetic. I also found the 90s vibe to permeate even further into every nook and cranny of this film, making it a thoroughly 90s movie (again, this is a good thing!)
Now, a really important part about pet movies that I think they nailed with this one is emotional resonance. There are so many emotional moments that are effective. His interactions with his mother dog, the homeless woman, the fry cook, the mother and son, and his newfound friend. All of these moments created the ideal emotional environment to make me care and pay attention.
The only qualm I have to is that the dog voices are so corny. They use cliche voices to narrate the dogs and it just takes a lot away from the characters in my opinion. Actually, up until a good 20-30 minutes into the film the dogs do not speak at all! And during this part of the movie I was thinking to myself about how original and well done the silent movements of the dogs were. It really worked. So, while I think the dog's voice may have been necessary for narration, I don't think they should have chosen such cliche and obvious sounding dogs. It cheapens the movie in a way.
All in all though this is an amazing movie. From the emotionality, to the unique transitions, to the compelling storyline, to the flashbacks. Everything in this movie congeals to make something truly remarkable.