An abandoned dog teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner.
Chuck says:
Reggie is in denial. He thinks he’s in a loving relationship and struggles to please his partner. However, no matter what he does, a sense of dissatisfaction hangs between them. He goes to extremes in an effort to feel needed, but nothing ever seems to work. His self-esteem has gotten so low, he thinks everything is his fault and try as he might, he can’t seem to get any praise for what he does. All he really wants is to be appreciated for who he is, yet how can that happen when he doesn’t think much of himself?
This sounds like the premise for a moving dramedy of self-actualization but in actuality it’s the basis for one of the raunchiest comedies you’re likely to see. In director Josh Greenbaum’s “Strays,” Reggie is a dog, a mutt who belongs to an owner who doesn’t deserve him, yet the poor guy is just too deluded to see that he’s being treated like dirt.
Finding the courage to be true to yourself is a worthy message, but you have to wade through an enormous amount of crudity in Dan Perrault’s script to find it. Scatological humor abounds, sex jokes are plentiful and if you think it’s funny to seemingly hear a dog drop the F-Bomb, then you’re in luck, because that word is uttered with such regularity, these pups end up giving Al Pacino’s Scarface a run for his money.
The story, such as it is, finds Reggie (voice by Will Ferrell) abandoned in Atlanta by his lay-about owner Doug (Will Forte). Driving the dog into the country and letting it loose, wasn’t cutting it, as he always returned home, so a trip to the big city was in order. There Reggie meets Bug (Jamie Foxx), a tough Boston Terrier, Maggie (Isla Fisher) a lovely Australian Shepherd and Hunter (Randall Park), an imposing Great Dane. After hearing Reggie’s tale of woe, they convince him he’s been in denial and that his relationship with Doug is toxic. Shocked by this but realizing its truth, the left-behind pooch decides to return to exact revenge on him by biting off a certain, vital body part. His three new friends decide to tag along, as we come to find out, what with the emotional baggage they’re carrying, they’ll get a vicarious thrill in witnessing this heinous act.
The matter of identity is the most interesting thing about the film, as it addresses how humans project certain qualities and emotions on their pets in order to fulfill a need in themselves. Unfortunately, this is done in a cursory manner and should have been explored more fully. However, the dogs themselves are given surprisingly deep backstories. All of them are suffering with issues of self-esteem as Bug is bitter towards humans, having once been abandoned by his young owner and Maggie is low because she’s being replaced by a younger, more attractive dog. Hunter has never gotten over the fact that he failed in his opportunity to become a police dog and that he wears a cone of shame as a sort of security blanket is one of the film’s best gags.
And while the effort is made to provide these canines with a bit of motivation, in the end, it’s a cursory measure. The movie’s bread and butter are the series of tasteless jokes, one poop gag, tripping on the heels of a pee joke throughout. This gets old fast, though there are occasional sparks of brilliance. The dogs’ supposition about why humans pick up their waste is smart, while a dog who narrates the events he sees around him, a movie trope the film acknowledges and pokes fun at with great effect, is very clever.
The movie’s biggest problem is its overall intent. Instead of expanding on the occasional good ideas in the script, there seems to be an urgency to get on to the next piece of crudity. That’s too bad, because there is a bit of heart here and the message, once you wade through the sophomoric humor to get to it, is worthwhile. Unfortunately, like its characters, “Strays” tries far too hard to please an unworthy master.
2 Stars
Reggie is in denial. He thinks he’s in a loving relationship and struggles to please his partner. However, no matter what he does, a sense of dissatisfaction hangs between them. He goes to extremes in an effort to feel needed, but nothing ever seems to work. His self-esteem has gotten so low, he thinks everything is his fault and try as he might, he can’t seem to get any praise for what he does. All he really wants is to be appreciated for who he is, yet how can that happen when he doesn’t think much of himself?
This sounds like the premise for a moving dramedy of self-actualization but in actuality it’s the basis for one of the raunchiest comedies you’re likely to see. In director Josh Greenbaum’s “Strays,” Reggie is a dog, a mutt who belongs to an owner who doesn’t deserve him, yet the poor guy is just too deluded to see that he’s being treated like dirt.
Finding the courage to be true to yourself is a worthy message, but you have to wade through an enormous amount of crudity in Dan Perrault’s script to find it. Scatological humor abounds, sex jokes are plentiful and if you think it’s funny to seemingly hear a dog drop the F-Bomb, then you’re in luck, because that word is uttered with such regularity, these pups end up giving Al Pacino’s Scarface a run for his money.
The story, such as it is, finds Reggie (voice by Will Ferrell) abandoned in Atlanta by his lay-about owner Doug (Will Forte). Driving the dog into the country and letting it loose, wasn’t cutting it, as he always returned home, so a trip to the big city was in order. There Reggie meets Bug (Jamie Foxx), a tough Boston Terrier, Maggie (Isla Fisher) a lovely Australian Shepherd and Hunter (Randall Park), an imposing Great Dane. After hearing Reggie’s tale of woe, they convince him he’s been in denial and that his relationship with Doug is toxic. Shocked by this but realizing its truth, the left-behind pooch decides to return to exact revenge on him by biting off a certain, vital body part. His three new friends decide to tag along, as we come to find out, what with the emotional baggage they’re carrying, they’ll get a vicarious thrill in witnessing this heinous act.
The matter of identity is the most interesting thing about the film, as it addresses how humans project certain qualities and emotions on their pets in order to fulfill a need in themselves. Unfortunately, this is done in a cursory manner and should have been explored more fully. However, the dogs themselves are given surprisingly deep backstories. All of them are suffering with issues of self-esteem as Bug is bitter towards humans, having once been abandoned by his young owner and Maggie is low because she’s being replaced by a younger, more attractive dog. Hunter has never gotten over the fact that he failed in his opportunity to become a police dog and that he wears a cone of shame as a sort of security blanket is one of the film’s best gags.
And while the effort is made to provide these canines with a bit of motivation, in the end, it’s a cursory measure. The movie’s bread and butter are the series of tasteless jokes, one poop gag, tripping on the heels of a pee joke throughout. This gets old fast, though there are occasional sparks of brilliance. The dogs’ supposition about why humans pick up their waste is smart, while a dog who narrates the events he sees around him, a movie trope the film acknowledges and pokes fun at with great effect, is very clever.
The movie’s biggest problem is its overall intent. Instead of expanding on the occasional good ideas in the script, there seems to be an urgency to get on to the next piece of crudity. That’s too bad, because there is a bit of heart here and the message, once you wade through the sophomoric humor to get to it, is worthwhile. Unfortunately, like its characters, “Strays” tries far too hard to please an unworthy master.
Reggie is in denial. He thinks he’s in a loving relationship and struggles to please his partner. However, no matter what he does, a sense of dissatisfaction hangs between them. He goes to extremes in an effort to feel needed, but nothing ever seems to work. His self-esteem has gotten so low, he thinks everything is his fault and try as he might, he can’t seem to get any praise for what he does. All he really wants is to be appreciated for who he is, yet how can that happen when he doesn’t think much of himself?
This sounds like the premise for a moving dramedy of self-actualization but in actuality it’s the basis for one of the raunchiest comedies you’re likely to see. In director Josh Greenbaum’s “Strays,” Reggie is a dog, a mutt who belongs to an owner who doesn’t deserve him, yet the poor guy is just too deluded to see that he’s being treated like dirt.
Finding the courage to be true to yourself is a worthy message, but you have to wade through an enormous amount of crudity in Dan Perrault’s script to find it. Scatological humor abounds, sex jokes are plentiful and if you think it’s funny to seemingly hear a dog drop the F-Bomb, then you’re in luck, because that word is uttered with such regularity, these pups end up giving Al Pacino’s Scarface a run for his money.
The story, such as it is, finds Reggie (voice by Will Ferrell) abandoned in Atlanta by his lay-about owner Doug (Will Forte). Driving the dog into the country and letting it loose, wasn’t cutting it, as he always returned home, so a trip to the big city was in order. There Reggie meets Bug (Jamie Foxx), a tough Boston Terrier, Maggie (Isla Fisher) a lovely Australian Shepherd and Hunter (Randall Park), an imposing Great Dane. After hearing Reggie’s tale of woe, they convince him he’s been in denial and that his relationship with Doug is toxic. Shocked by this but realizing its truth, the left-behind pooch decides to return to exact revenge on him by biting off a certain, vital body part. His three new friends decide to tag along, as we come to find out, what with the emotional baggage they’re carrying, they’ll get a vicarious thrill in witnessing this heinous act.
The matter of identity is the most interesting thing about the film, as it addresses how humans project certain qualities and emotions on their pets in order to fulfill a need in themselves. Unfortunately, this is done in a cursory manner and should have been explored more fully. However, the dogs themselves are given surprisingly deep backstories. All of them are suffering with issues of self-esteem as Bug is bitter towards humans, having once been abandoned by his young owner and Maggie is low because she’s being replaced by a younger, more attractive dog. Hunter has never gotten over the fact that he failed in his opportunity to become a police dog and that he wears a cone of shame as a sort of security blanket is one of the film’s best gags.
And while the effort is made to provide these canines with a bit of motivation, in the end, it’s a cursory measure. The movie’s bread and butter are the series of tasteless jokes, one poop gag, tripping on the heels of a pee joke throughout. This gets old fast, though there are occasional sparks of brilliance. The dogs’ supposition about why humans pick up their waste is smart, while a dog who narrates the events he sees around him, a movie trope the film acknowledges and pokes fun at with great effect, is very clever.
The movie’s biggest problem is its overall intent. Instead of expanding on the occasional good ideas in the script, there seems to be an urgency to get on to the next piece of crudity. That’s too bad, because there is a bit of heart here and the message, once you wade through the sophomoric humor to get to it, is worthwhile. Unfortunately, like its characters, “Strays” tries far too hard to please an unworthy master.
Pam says:
“Strays,” starring Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, is described by Ferrell as a raunchy version of “Homeward Bound” and he couldn’t be more accurate. When I say “starring,” it’s actually the voices of these two major stars who bring an overly optimistic and naive scruffy terrier named Reggie and a streetwise survivor Boston Terrier named Bug to life. Accompanying them are the gorgeously coiffed Australian Shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher) and the peace-seeking anxiety-ridden Great Dane named Hunter (Randall Park) on a vengeance journey to ferociously remove an appendage from Reggie’s abusive owner Doug (Will Forte).
We meet little Reggie and Doug living in squalor, but as Reggie narrates this story initially, we see his sunny disposition. The glass is always half full and even as Doug literally tosses him to the wayside, Reggie, formerly known as expletive this and expletive that, loves Doug. All he wants is to hear the words “good dog” from his beloved owner. Instead, Doug plays the abandonment game “Fetch and F***.” Finding himself on the streets, Reggie meets Bug, Maggie, and Hunter who help him see Doug for who he really is. The journey back home begins to even the score.
First, let me emphasize that this is NOT a children’s movie even though it’s all about dogs. There are more F-bombs, crude sexual jokes, and drug references than “American Pie” or “Ted.” Now, if you can let yourself go, the story is actually quite sweet and even touchingly heartwarming at times. The varied personalities of the dogs compliment one another perfectly and each dog has his or her own story to tell. By the half-way point in this beautifully short-running film, we no longer think of these dogs as dogs, but as actual talking emotional beings hell-bent on exacting revenge upon an abusive owner.
There’s not one dull moment in the film as the four-legged group finds themselves starving in the woods and resorting to the treasures the forest provides, or captured by the evil Animal Control jail cells guarded by Willy (Brett Gelman), or even being scooped up by a hawk or an eagle as its next meal. Each and every encounter gives the dogs a new experience and us, the viewer, a chance to laugh out loud. Equally captivating is the cinematography and skills of each of these canine actors. Tricks such as humping on command are easy, but it’s those subtle movements that anthropomorphize these wondrous creatures.
There are very few humans that have important roles in this film, but Forte runs with his part as the worst human possible. We despise him and we root for the dogs to teach him a lesson, but we also laugh at his inability to be a contributing member of society. The other human that stands out is Gelman who relishes in becoming a disturbed and pathetic man who quickly is outsmarted by conniving canines. The dogs are the stars and they run with it.
“Strays” is a hilariously entertaining movie that is surprisingly touching and heartwarming, but writer Dan Perrault and director Josh Greenbaum have no problem committing to and embracing diving down to the lowest comedy level of crude and raunchy humor.
2 1/2 Stars
