Parents' Guide to

Hero Dog: The Journey Home

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Peril, some injury in dog-in-the-wild adventure.

Movie PG 2021 90 minutes
Hero Dog: The Journey Home Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

AB28
AB28 Adult
February 19, 2022
age 8+

This title has:

Great messages
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In HERO DOG: THE JOURNEY HOME, Royce (Steve Byers), a blind man, is commuting on a boat to see his family after working all week at his new job in the city. He's accompanied by Chinook, an Alaskan Malamute. While crossing the lake, the captain of the boat collapses and falls unconscious, and while the boat doesn't capsize in the lake or crash into the rocks near the shore, Royce is on an isolated part of the lake with no one but Chinook to help him get back. While his two kids, Max and Erin, wait for Royce at the dock with their Aunt Susan (Natasha Henstridge). (Their mother died of cancer two years earlier.) Susan begins to fear the worst, and the search for Royce soon begins, first on the lake and then through the thick forest around the lake.

As the search continues and Royce remains missing, Max and Erin decide to sneak out and use their camping skills to conduct a search of their own, but they soon become lost themselves. Meanwhile, Royce, with the help of Chinook, must cross rough waters, navigate dangerous crossings, and face off against a mountain lion. Nonetheless, Chinook proves to be a brave companion to Royce, with a rather extraordinary gift for orienteering. But when Royce sustains finds himself trapped beneath a log and unable to move, it's going to require the help of Chinook, Royce's kids, and the entire search party to somehow find Royce and get him and Chinook back home.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

This is a heavy-handed adventure story about a dog in the wild, but kids will probably enjoy it. It's the story of a man who lost his vision while serving his country in Afghanistan who now must find a way to navigate the deepest of woods after the captain of the boat that was to take him back to his family loses consciousness and leaves him far from home, with only an Alaskan Malamute named Chinook to get him home. There's plenty of the requisite peril -- everything from mountain lions to wolves to merciless rocks and rapids, and if that's not enough, the son and daughter of the lead character soon become lost themselves after they try to use their camping skills to do what the helicopters, planes, and walkie talkies of the search party cannot do. But no matter. Chinook is preternaturally gifted at orienteering, and knows when to bark when the danger to the humans is especially eminent.

The lead character is not only blind, but he has also lost his wife to cancer two years ago. He works a job in "the city" now that the local mine has closed. Also, his son resents his dad for taking the job because that means they're going to move to the big city, and the son wants to continue to enjoy his life in the great outdoors. It's already a lot, so it seems a bit much to also have to face off against a rabid mountain lion with nothing but a flare gun and a big dog. It's clearly in the tradition of the older Disney movies with gifted pets who rescue their grateful human counterparts, but it really doesn't do anything new with that tried-and-true formula. Still, dog lovers will enjoy seeing a heroic dog do his thing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about movies that prominently feature dogs, such as Hero Dog: The Journey Home. How does this compare to other "dog movies" you've seen?

  • The lead character lost his vision while serving in the military in Afghanistan. Does this movie portray an accurate depiction of someone without sight? Why or why not?

  • Did the peril that these characters faced seem necessary to the story, or did it seem exaggerated and unnecessary? Why?

Movie Details

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