Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is a 1996 American adventure comedy film and the sequel to the 1993 film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey directed by David R. Ellis in his feature film directorial debut. The film features the three pets from the first film, Shadow the Golden Retriever (voiced by Ralph Waite, replacing Don Ameche after the latter's death in 1993), Sassy the Himalayan cat (Sally Field), and Chance the American Bulldog (Michael J. Fox). It also features the voice work of Sinbad, Carla Gugino, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jon Polito, Adam Goldberg, Al Michaels, Tommy Lasorda and Bob Uecker. In addition, Robert Hays, Kim Greist, Veronica Lauren, Kevin Chevalia and Benj Thall reprised their roles for the sequel.
The movie was met with mixed critical reception overall, while it fared better with audiences. The film was released by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution on March 8, 1996, and went on to gross over $32 million at the box office.
Contents
Plot
Three years after the events of the first film, the Seaver family, owners of Shadow the Golden Retriever, Sassy the Himalayan cat, and Chance the American Bulldog, are about to take a vacation to Canada, and have decided to bring their pets with them. At the San Francisco International Airport, the animals escape after Chance panics while mistaking airport workers for the workers at the pound, after his earlier actions angered Jamie causing Chance to believe that Jamie was sending him back to the pound. In a frenzy, Chance breaks free from his carrier. Shadow and Sassy follow his lead, and together after eluding airport authorities, the animals find themselves in the city of San Francisco. With home on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge, the trio set out to once again find their way back.
As their journey begins, Chance unintentionally runs into a Boxer and his Bullmastiff friend; named Ashcan and Pete, respectively. Territorial of their terrain, Ashcan refuses to let them pass. As Shadow attempts to explain to them that they are only seeking to find their way home, Ashcan and Pete threaten that they are going to eat Sassy. Shadow begins to fight Ashcan, while Sassy hides safely high upon a nearby window sill. A group of streetwise stray animals known as Riley's Gang, join the confrontation and help overpower Ashcan and Pete. The group explains to the trio that the city is not a safe place for domesticated pets. In the scuffle, Chance had run for safety. Riley sends a member of the gang named Delilah to find him, where she explains that they mean no harm.
Shadow and Sassy make their way through downtown with the rest of Riley's Gang. When a vehicle known as the "Blood Red Van" appears, Riley instructs that they all take cover and explains that the van takes stray dogs off the streets to a place called "the Lab". He further explains that he avoids cars, due to their relation to humans, and he does not trust humans at all. Acknowledging their differences regarding humans, Shadow and Sassy express their thanks to the group and continue to make their way towards the Golden Gate Bridge. While Chance and Delilah make their way through the city, Chance asks about Riley's distrust of humans. She explains that Riley was adopted as a puppy by a married couple as a Christmas gift for their child, but the child did not want him and Riley was promptly abandoned. Having to adapt to survive as a stray, he created his gang to protect all stray animals from humans. When they make their way through the park, Chance begins to be romantically interested in Delilah.
Cast
Robert Hays as Bob Seaver
Kim Greist as Laura Seaver
Benj Thall as Peter Seaver
Veronica Lauren as Hope Seaver
Kevin Chevalia as Jamie Seaver
Michael Rispoli as Jack
Max Perlich as Ralph
Keegan MacIntosh as Tucker
Sandra Ferens as Tucker's Mom
Andrew Airlie as Tucker's Dad
Will Sasso as Pizza Boy
Voice cast
Michael J. Fox - Chance, the American Bulldog
Carla Gugino as Delilah, the Kuvasz
Sally Field as Sassy, the Himalayan cat
Ralph Waite as Shadow, the Golden Retriever
Jon Polito as Ashcan, the Boxer
Adam Goldberg as Pete the Bullmastiff
Sinbad as Riley the Labrador Retriever-mix
Tisha Campbell-Martin as Sledge, the Shetland Collie-Mix
Stephen Tobolowsky as Bando, the Bluetick Coonhound
Michael Bell as Stokey, the Portuguese Podengo
Ross Malinger as Spike, the Jack Russell Terrier
Al Michaels as Sparky Michaels, the Rough Collie
Tommy Lasorda as Lucky Lasorda, the Black and White Havanese
Bob Uecker as Trixie Uecker, the German Shepherd
Tress MacNeille as French Poodle
Jeff Fischer as various characters (uncredited)
Release
Home media
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco was released on VHS and LaserDisc on July 31, 1996, by Walt Disney Home Video. It was released on DVD on April 23, 2002, by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
Reception
Critical response
The film received an overall mixed reception. The film holds a 56% aggregated critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, indicating a below-average viewing score. Noted film critic Stephen Holden praised elements of the film stating: "Homeward Bound 2 may not entirely avoid the coyness and sticky sentiment associated with Hollywood anthropomorphism. But it does a better job than most family films in projecting a child's-eye view of a world where siblings and pets are equally cherished members of the family." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average rating of "B+", on an A+ to F scale.
Box office
The film opened in 2,129 theatres on March 8, 1996, and grossed $8,605,649. Debuting at #2 at the box office, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco remained in theatres for approximately five weekends. The movie's entire box office run earned over $32,772,492 in domestic ticket sales.
