There’s no shortage of movies featuring dogs doing everything to protect their humans, but in Finch, it’s the other way around. Finch tells the story of a reclusive scientist named Finch, played by Tom Hanks, who builds a robot to take care of his dog as they traverse a post-apocalyptic radioactive United States. It’s a heartwarming, tear-jerking tale of love and cooperation between man, dog, and bot, one that can only be properly portrayed by an actor of Hanks’ caliber. The movie was directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who is most popularly known for directing many episodes of Game of Thrones. Kimber Myers of Crooked Marquee was pleasantly surprised that a movie with just one actual human character would deliver a powerful message on humanity. “For a film where just one of the three named characters is an actual person, Finch exists as a surprisingly moving exploration of what it means to be human.”
“In “Finch,” a man, a robot and a dog form an unlikely family in a powerful and moving adventure of one man’s quest to ensure that his beloved canine companion will be cared for after he’s gone. Tom Hanks stars as Finch, a robotics engineer and one of the few survivors of a cataclysmic solar event that has left the world a wasteland. But Finch, who has been living in an underground bunker for a decade, has built a world of his own that he shares with his dog, Goodyear. He creates a robot, played by Caleb Landry Jones, to watch over Goodyear when he no longer can,” says the official synopsis of the movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes. If you are looking for something pleasant to watch, Finch is ready to stream on Apple TV+. When you’re done bawling your eyes out and admiring Tom Hanks’ unsurprisingly masterful performance, here are five other films just like Finch that you can watch right now.
A Dog’s Purpose
A Dog’s Purpose is the ultimate movie for every dog-lover out there. The movie tells the tale of a dog that contemplates on his life’s purpose as he gets reincarnated through the years as different breeds with different owners. A Dog’s Purpose stars Josh Gad, voicing the dog’s thoughts, as well as Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, KJ Apa, and John Ortiz. The movie wasn’t particularly well-received by critics, with Simran Hans from The Observer commenting, “It’s hard not to be charmed by the film’s pack of hyperactive, wriggling puppies, but there’s only so much time to be spent watching them play before it becomes eye-wateringly banal.” However, if you’re not looking for the Citizen Kane of dog movies, it’s a film that guarantees to bring a smile (and perhaps a few tears) to your face.
Togo
Togo stars Willem Dafoe as the real-life Leonhard Seppala, a Norweigan-American sled dog breeder who, with the help of his trusty dog Togo, raced across Alaska in 1925 to deliver much-needed diphtheria antitoxin to residents of Nome. Dafoe, who is known to play villains, plays a heroic character in Togo. In an interview with Deadline, Dafoe explained the authenticity that was required to pull off the breathtaking scenes in the movie, from forming a real bond with the dog actors to doing the stunts on the sleds. On his relationship with Diesel, the lead dog actor, this is what Dafoe had to say: “I was incredibly close to him, and there was a close intimacy because of that. The personal journey was what we were after and it made a huge difference.” Commenting on the sled scenes, Dafoe remarked: “I was told if you ever dump the sled, if you ever crash, just do us a favor and just hang on. These dogs love to run so much that if you lose the sled they’re gone for a good long time and it can be dangerous for them. So I must admit I did crash many times. But I can brag and say I never did let that sled go once.”
All Dogs Go To Heaven
We’re not quite sure whether the movie inspired the saying “all dogs go to heaven” or if it’s the other way around. Whatever the case may be, All Dogs Go To Heaven is a must-watch for anyone who’s still suffering from Finch withdrawal. The cartoon features the voices of old-school Hollywood legends, like Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise. While not a classic like Cinderella or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, it’s still worthy of a watch, especially if dogs are a huge part of your life. In a review for The Associated Press, Dolores Barclay wrote: ”All Dogs Go to Heaven” will never be an animated classic, such as ”Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” or ”Bambi,” but it is enjoyable entertainment for the entire family.”
I, Robot
This one isn’t about humans and dogs, but about humans and robots, which is another central plot in the movie Finch. In I, Robot, Will Smith plays a detective who investigates the death of a robotics company founder, believing that a human-like robot was behind his death. I, Robot was originally written by famed sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov, according to The Conversation, who created the “Three Laws of Robotics” that is often referred to in robot-centric movies, including I, Robot:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws
These three rules are referenced in Finch, with Tom Hanks’ character adding a fourth rule for the robot he is building to protect his dog: take care of the dog when Finch can no longer do so, a rule that supersedes the first three.
Old Yeller
Old Yeller is a classic, starring Hollywood legends Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, and Beverly Washburn. The movie is a coming-of-age story about a runaway dog who forms a relationship with a rural family. “While Jim Coates (Fess Parker) is off on a cattle drive, his wife, Katie (Dorothy McGuire), and sons, Travis (Tommy Kirk) and Arliss (Kevin Corcoran), are left behind on their Texas ranch. When a runaway dog named Old Yeller causes damage in one of their fields, Travis tries to drive him away. However, Travis and Katie both warm to Old Yeller when he saves Arliss from a bear attack. As Travis and the brave and faithful dog grow closer, concern grows about an outbreak of rabies,” according to the official synopsis, from Rotten Tomatoes. Old Yeller is currently ranked the No. 1 dog-centric movie on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a must-see for anyone who appreciated Finch‘s storyline.Finch
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