Over the course of the 120-minute running time we follow the travelling soul of a dog in various different doggie bodies, starting with Bailey – owned by Riverdale’s non-ginger KJ Apa as a young Dennis Quaid – then moving on to police dog Ellie (yes the dog switches gender, but is still voiced by Josh Gad), then faithful companion Tino and, finally, Buddy. And yes, by nature of being a film about reincarnation, a lot of innocent puppies die. It’s sad, and even the hardest-hearted viewer might shed a tear. This of course makes it feel extremely emotionally manipulative in parts, but the film does so much with each character vignette in such a small amount of time that key moments feel – if we’re being generous – more or less earned. As a side note, a lot of criticism of A Dog’s Purpose will likely dwell on the allegations (ultimately unveiled as false) of animal cruelty levelled at the film during production, which have become entwined with the marketing and conversations surrounding the movie. Gad is having a bit of a moment this summer with Beauty And The Beast still making zillions of dollars at the box office, and we already know that he gives good loveable voiceover from his role as Olaf in Frozen. He’s wonderful here also, lending a charm and sincerity to Bailey and his counterparts that, helped by some top notch animal acting, allows the audience into the dog’s ‘headspace’ even when the writing leaves a lot to be desired. The script isn’t the only problem, as the film can at times feel just like being repeatedly barked at for two hours. Gad may be voicing the internalised thoughts of the cuddly canines, but the talent is busy barking at the cameraman and, with such a long running time, it was always going to become tedious. That said, it’s hard to criticise A Dog’s Purpose for being overly quaint and shallow, because the truth is that this is designed to be consumed by children and families. In that sense, it achieves what it sets out to do quite admirably, with a nice message at its heart and cute dogs to coo over while you get there. And try not to cry – I dare you. A Dog’s Purpose is in UK cinemas from 5th May.