Dog (2022) Review!!

Synopsis – Two former Army Rangers are paired against their will on the road trip of a lifetime. Briggs (Channing Tatum) and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois) race down the Pacific Coast to get to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time.

My Take – There is a long history of dogs in cinema, from starring in family comedies, to sports films, to even having their own moments in horror films, nevertheless, this fury lovable canines, despite changes in trends, have always successfully managed to cater to a section of an audience.

This latest one is no different, which given the recent history of dog co-starring films, aims to make you laugh but also expects to shed a few tears.

Marking the directorial debuts of Reid Carolin (writer of Magic Mike) and Channing Tatum, who also leads in his first on-screen role in five years, this charming comedy-drama is based on Carolin‘s fictional script on a 2017 HBO documentary, War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend, which they co-produced, and certainly has a vibe similar to that of Turner & Hooch (1989).

And while the story is everything you would expect, with little to no surprises in between, and absolutely nothing new to the material, the reason why the film has turned into a success story is mainly because directors Carolin and Tatum execute this well-worn narrative effectively, resulting in a pleasant drama that’s consistently funny, heartwarming and emotional.

But most importantly, it is made highly watchable by the chemistry shared between the Belgian Malinois and very likable Tatum. Without a doubt this one was a slickly calculated comeback vehicle.

The story follows Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum), a U.S. Army Ranger, who desperately wants his status to be restored to active duty, which had been altered after he sustained a traumatic brain injury.

However, his commanding officer isn’t convinced to sign off on his redeployment, but agrees to pull some strings, if Briggs takes up the assignment of taking a highly trained Belgian Malinois named Lulu (three dogs play the canine), down the Pacific Coast from Joint Base Lewis–McChord in Washington to Nogales, Arizona in time to attend the funeral of Riley Rodriguez, Lulu’s handler and Briggs’ comrade in arms.

Something to which he agrees to reluctantly. But Lulu has been traumatized by her experiences on the front lines and is skittish and snappish, and Briggs is not in very good shape himself. Yet, along the way, they begin to bond on their crazy journey and heal each other’s wounds, allowing Briggs to realize how life can move forward in unexpected ways.

Since the film is very much a road trip film at heart, it uses the genre as permission to put its characters in all sorts of wacky situations and escapades. From Lulu messing up Briggs’s encounter with tantric yoga practitioners, meeting up with an off the grid hippie couple and causing havoc in a hotel.

While the film is far more genial than laugh-out-loud funny, directors Carolin and Tatum make sure that they never allow the slapstick humor to take over the very serious side to the film.

The film makes a unique choice to hold the protagonist at arm’s length. The obvious path for a story like this is to have a rough, stern main character soften up and grow to have passion for a dog. But the film keeps Briggs vague, hinting at his troubled relationship with his wife and daughter, opening up slowly to reveal pieces of his struggle with PTSD in a very intense scene that’s very well-executed.

Yes, the film may have been more emotionally impactful if Briggs had a deeper emotional connection to the departed. However, the places they take the character of Briggs ultimately work quite well.

The best part of the film is how it refuses to give any political or sermonizing agenda, even though it includes a very powerful scene about the other-ing of the enemy and the effect that can have on the dogs outside of a military setting, which might compromise its appeal as a family film with a happy ending. As Briggs and Lulu watch a sunset together and form a healing link, you are left with smile.

Channing Tatum gives a perfect lead performance that’s endlessly charming, essentially carrying the film on his screen presence and great chemistry with his canine costar. His established talent as a comedic and dramatic actor shines through in this film. He has many hilarious scenes where he gets to play off the dog and be annoyed by her while fearing her aggression. The chemistry between Briggs and Lulu is a critical element of what makes the film so heartwarming.

In smaller roles, Jane Adams, Emmy Raver Lampman, Kevin Nash, Q’orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Nicole LaLiberte, Luke Forbes, Ronnie Gene Blevins and Aqueela Zoll are effective. On the whole, ‘Dog’ is a familiar yet compelling road trip entry that’s consistently funny and heartwarming.