Fluke MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 Content: -1

When Tom Johnson (Matthew Modine) is killed in a car crash, he wakes up in this world in the body of a dog named Fluke. As he tries to find his way in the world, Fluke meets another stray named Rumbo who shows him how to evade dog catchers and fend for himself. Fluke is haunted, however, by flashbacks of his previous life and images of his wife and son. He must find his family and try to communicate with them. Once he locates them, Fluke quickly earns their affection and enjoys spending time with the family he seldom had time for during his life as a human. But Fluke recognizes that the person who supposedly contributed to his car crash (Eric Stoltz) is now dating his wife (Nancy Travis). He then proceeds to rescue his family from this perceived danger. Fluke is a cute, lovable dog, but the movie is only mildly entertaining. Further, the film's weak dialogue and story seem secondary to its fostering the concept of reincarnation.

The main source of the film's humor is canine urination. Fluke urinates on a dog catcher and in another crude scene, Rumbo teaches Fluke how to urinate. The scenes which show Johnson crashing into a tree at his death may be too intense for young children. But Fluke truly loves his former family and tries to express his feelings for them. And the film has no seriously offensive language or sexual content. The theme of animal rights is interjected when Fluke is used for testing cosmetics. But Rumbo rescues Fluke along with all the other laboratory animals. During their escape, Rumbo is shot and eventually dies, although he is reincarnated as a squirrel. And therein lies the problem with FLUKE. Reincarnation is blatantly portrayed as real, not fantasy, and both Rumbo and Fluke were men in their former lives. In fact, viewers are exhorted to be on the look out for deceased loved ones in forms they may not recognize, namely, animals. Don't be fooled by the appearance of this family movie which clearly promotes the anti-Biblical concept of reincarnation.

Preview Reviewer: Krista Kay Bontrager
Distributor: MGM/UA Dist., 1111 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025