Homeward Bound II - Lost in San Francisco (1996)

53% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(48,741 ratings)

Two dogs and a cat, separated from their human family, must find their way home and face the dangers of a big city for the first time in this adventure story for the whole family. Bob Seaver (Robert Hays) and his wife Laura (Kim Greist), who live in Northern California, are taking their kids on a… More Two dogs and a cat, separated from their human family, must find their way home and face the dangers of a big city for the first time in this adventure story for the whole family. Bob Seaver (Robert Hays) and his wife Laura (Kim Greist), who live in Northern California, are taking their kids on a camping vacation in Canada, and they're bringing along their pets -- spunky bulldog Chance (voice of Michael J. Fox), self-centered Himalayan cat Sassy (voice of Sally Field), and wise old Golden Retriever Shadow (voice of Ralph Waite). However, Chance doesn't like being cooped up in his travelling cage at the airport, and when he escapes, Sassy and Shadow follow him to the nearest city, San Francisco. After a scary night on their own, the trio are befriended by a gang of stray dogs and cats who have learned to live on their own after running away from their cruel masters. However, Chance, Sassy, and Shadow soon realize that life on the streets is not for them, and they set out to find the Seaver house they call home. Sports fans take note: Bob Uecker, Tommy Lasorda, and Al Michaels appear as themselves and also provide the voices of their pets. The voice of Shadow was performed by Don Ameche in the preceding film Homeward Bound; it proved to be Ameche's last film released before his death in late 1993 (his final film, Corrina, Corrina, didn't reach theaters until several months after his passing), leading the producers of this sequel to cast Ralph Waite in the role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: G, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: David R. Ellis
Genres: Action & Adventure, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Mar 8, 1996 Wide
On DVD: Apr 23, 2002

Critic Reviews

Kevin McManus, Washington Post
The tone is ideal for a family audience. The length is perfect. And the sequence of last-minute surprises elicits tears and laughter in just the right proportions.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Wee urbanites might find Disney's scorn for city life a shade offputting, but if preview audiences are any indication, little ones will laugh their tiny heinies off at the humor herein.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The first movie was good-hearted and I liked it, but since then Babe has raised the bar, with animals that not only talk more realistically, but say things that are wittier and more pungent.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
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.
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
Taken on its own entirely hokey terms, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is a charming romp of a talking animal movie.
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today
It's more padded than Lassie's bed. But 9-and-unders were having a tail-wagging good time.
Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media
Definitely not as good as the first.
Greg Muskewitz, eFilmCritic.com
So pathetic, that the filmmakers are not above making gay jokes about animals in San Francisco!
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Somebody needs to invest in a few leashes.
Joseph McBride, Boxoffice Magazine
This sequel is serviceable family-market fodder, but even little children might expect something more sophisticated these days.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
Full of the cute doggie tricks, big noisy adventure sequences and the usual anthropomorphic bits of action and dialogue that children will love.
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
The plot is nothing more than a recycled version of the first one, but hey, it is still funny and there are many great lines.
Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
A silly little trifle with more wisecracks than laughs.
Jane Ganahl, San Francisco Examiner
Like the first Homeward Bound, this one has some very nice elements, including wonderful camera work.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

Homeward Bound II is a fairly useless sequel to a good film. Personally I don't see why they made a sequel, they basically took the same plot changed it a bit, and made the same movie using a different setting. This is a perfect example of an uninspired sequel. The film could… More
Homeward Bound II is a fairly useless sequel to a good film. Personally I don't see why they made a sequel, they basically took the same plot changed it a bit, and made the same movie using a different setting. This is a perfect example of an uninspired sequel. The film could have been good, unfortunately if you've seen the first, then you know exactly what to expect watching this sequel. This sequel suffers from its predictability and becomes uninteresting halfway through the film, because, after all, we know what will happen. The cast of the original film return, along with the voice actors who did the voices of the lost animals. This could have been a good film, but the writing is poor and the directing is unimpressive. Like I previously stated, the film is predictable, and it's what make this film pretty worthless and uninteresting. However, the mediocrity of this sequel this still does have some sort of entertainment value for the entire family. Just don't expect a solid sequel, because this is the same thing as the first. The first film is the best, and this film was simply made in order to cash in on the success of the first. This sequel is proof that sometimes sequels are not necessarily a good thing, and the film is pretty dull, and unimpressive. Stick with the original film; it's better than this unnecessary sequel.
AJ V

Homeward Bound was not a movie that needed a sequel. This one has more of the same from the first one, it has nothing new to say, except that they're in Frisco instead. Overall, it's just okay.
Jason O

Not as good as the original, no, but still entertaining.
Rachel F

My favorite one of the series.
Dillon L

Not as good as the original.
Sunil J

Not necessary and dumb.