I’m not a dog person, but I understand the reluctance of some animal lovers to watch a movie with a pet in peril, and clearly the filmmakers behind “Heart of the Beast” do, too. They know their audience, and they make sure to open the movie with a flash-forward featuring military-trained German Shepherd Odin emerging from the Alaskan wilderness to encounter a friendly driver (Anna Lambe). Thus, when the story flashes back to a week earlier and Odin and his owner, James Belmont (Brad Pitt), face grave danger, viewers can rest easy knowing that the loyal dog will make it out alive.

• Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
• Verdict: Although it features some tense moments and strong performances from both Brad Pitt and Odin the dog, this survival drama about a military veteran and his canine companion stranded in the wilderness is cheesy and unconvincing, and disingenuous in its messaging.
• Where to watch: Opens in theaters Sept. 25

That’s considerate of the sensitive dog owners in the audience, but it’s also indicative of the safe, obvious and frequently hokey tone of director David Ayer’s survival drama. There are moments when “Heart of the Beast” is stark and tense, even with the knowledge of Odin’s survival, but far too much of it is predictable and borderline sappy, especially when it veers uncomfortably close to military propaganda territory at the end.

There’s nothing here as offensively manipulative as garbage like “A Dog’s Purpose” or “A Dog’s Way Home,” but “Heart of the Beast” also pales in comparison to gripping stories of lone men against the elements, like “All Is Lost” or “127 Hours.”

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