YMMV / Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

• Hilarious in Hindsight: The film was likely in production before Spin City began filming, so it's funny that Carla Gugino is the voice of Delilah, the love interest for Chance, voiced by Michael J. Fox.
  • Chance is portrayed by an American Bulldog in the first film and in this film by a Boxer; Arthur Read's next door neighbors, the Molinas, have a dog named Amigo who's eventually revealed to be a Bulldog-Boxer mix.
• Jerks Are Worse Than Villains: While the two evil dog catchers in the Blood Red Van working for "The Lab" are the "villains" in the movie, they are mostly your typical Bumbling Henchman Duo. Now, Riley's former human owners, on the other hand, are much easier to hate. They abandon Riley on the "coldest, rainiest night of the year" just because the little boy didn't want to play with him right away. And while the little boy might be too young to understand the responsibilities of pet ownership but the boy's parents are adults who should've known better and have no excuses. Furthermore, their abandonment of Riley serves as a Cynicism Catalyst for him and one of the biggest tearjerking scenes in the movie. And also, Riley's situation is a tragically all too common occurrence in real life, to boot.
• Realism-Induced Horror: Riley being abandoned shortly after being rejected by a little boy on Christmas morning is a very tragically occurring problem in real life. It's the reason why so many animal welfare groups constantly remind and advise people against the practice of giving pets as gifts.
• Retroactive Recognition: Spike, the puppy in Riley's gang, is played by Ross Mallinger, the first voice actor for T.J. Detweiler.
• Special Effects Failure: Fairly minor, but when Sassy comes running out from the burning house, the "kitten" she carries is obviously fake. This makes the scene more humorous, combined with Sassy's complaint.
• Strangled by the Red String: Chance and Delilah spend a few hours together and realize they're meant to be. To be fair, they're dogs.
• The Woobie: Riley. Yes, he's bitter toward all humans and cynical about the pets' family, but he has the Dark and Troubled Past to explain it — being "left...on the coldest, rainiest night of the year."

---