This is a story about a man and his dog, a legitimate feel good movie through and through; and I found myself welling up with tears several times.
There are moments you feel sorry for Ruby the dog, not because she's abused or neglected, but because her owner is so inept. While I really loved the heartwarming scenes, there were equally as many dopey ones.
The main character, Daniel O'Neal (Grant Gustin) was so exhausting for some obscure reason, however I knew I recognized him from something I'd seen years ago. So I IMDB'd him and he's none other than 'The Flash'. I loved the whole Arrow-verse, and Flash was no exception (even though I could only get through the first few seasons).
There is a palpable Canadian vibe to this movie, the whole feel of it, and the police uniforms. I was wondering if these were actual state troopers, because I've never seen them in uniforms quite like these (reminded me of Canadian Mounties). I've seen enough Canadian movies to know this was either filmed or produced in Canada, and I was surprised the story originates in Rhode Island; but not surprised it was filmed in Canada. That explained the whole feel of the movie, the morals, values, and cultural nuances. The accent of the characters is obviously from New England, and interestingly Scott Wolf is a native Bostonian.
Matt Zarrella (Scott Wolf) trains K-9 officers, but is a glaringly strange and creepy sort. We are already inclined to dislike him from the start, because 7 times he has rejected O'Neal's application to be a K-9 officer. This is his 8th and final run at the position, but it's never explained why he has failed to meet Zarrella's approval. This is a huge plot gap that cannot be ignored.
Ruby is an extremely unruly dog that is past due to be "put down", but luckily O'Neal rescues her just in time, because he needs a spunky partner to train. There is an immediate bond, however it's somewhat unconvincing to the audience, and detracts from the experience as a whole.
The plot is disorganized, the supporting characters are inadequate, and there are some absurdities that can't be ignored (you'll see). The general theme eludes us until a secondary character (who seemed to be calling all the shots) says to O'Neal: "I'm thinking you're the one whose lost, not Ruby". We are then shifted to the conclusion of the film when he and Ruby find a missing child, where multiple other K-9 teams had failed. Coincidentally, the child is the son of the woman who had been trying in vain to find a home for Ruby in the first place, a totally unexpected twist.
Sadly, this movie has been a misuse of my precious time.
7 stars for several modestly heart-warming moments 3 stars for everything else 5 stars overall average.
There are moments you feel sorry for Ruby the dog, not because she's abused or neglected, but because her owner is so inept. While I really loved the heartwarming scenes, there were equally as many dopey ones.
The main character, Daniel O'Neal (Grant Gustin) was so exhausting for some obscure reason, however I knew I recognized him from something I'd seen years ago. So I IMDB'd him and he's none other than 'The Flash'. I loved the whole Arrow-verse, and Flash was no exception (even though I could only get through the first few seasons).
There is a palpable Canadian vibe to this movie, the whole feel of it, and the police uniforms. I was wondering if these were actual state troopers, because I've never seen them in uniforms quite like these (reminded me of Canadian Mounties). I've seen enough Canadian movies to know this was either filmed or produced in Canada, and I was surprised the story originates in Rhode Island; but not surprised it was filmed in Canada. That explained the whole feel of the movie, the morals, values, and cultural nuances. The accent of the characters is obviously from New England, and interestingly Scott Wolf is a native Bostonian.
Matt Zarrella (Scott Wolf) trains K-9 officers, but is a glaringly strange and creepy sort. We are already inclined to dislike him from the start, because 7 times he has rejected O'Neal's application to be a K-9 officer. This is his 8th and final run at the position, but it's never explained why he has failed to meet Zarrella's approval. This is a huge plot gap that cannot be ignored.
Ruby is an extremely unruly dog that is past due to be "put down", but luckily O'Neal rescues her just in time, because he needs a spunky partner to train. There is an immediate bond, however it's somewhat unconvincing to the audience, and detracts from the experience as a whole.
The plot is disorganized, the supporting characters are inadequate, and there are some absurdities that can't be ignored (you'll see). The general theme eludes us until a secondary character (who seemed to be calling all the shots) says to O'Neal: "I'm thinking you're the one whose lost, not Ruby". We are then shifted to the conclusion of the film when he and Ruby find a missing child, where multiple other K-9 teams had failed. Coincidentally, the child is the son of the woman who had been trying in vain to find a home for Ruby in the first place, a totally unexpected twist.
Sadly, this movie has been a misuse of my precious time.
7 stars for several modestly heart-warming moments 3 stars for everything else 5 stars overall average.