“Dog” is a comedy-drama directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin, both making their respective feature directorial debuts. The film is about a U.S. Army Ranger who grudgingly must escort the Army Ranger dog of his fallen commander to his funeral, 1,500 miles away in three days. I was drawn to Dog because I am a dog lover and a big fan of Channing Tatum. I thought Dog was an emotionally, well-written and well directed family movie.
U.S. Army Ranger Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum) is tasked with bringing Lulu (a Belgian Malinois military, working dog), 1500 miles down the Pacific Coast from Joint Base Lewis–McChord in Washington to Nogales, Arizona, in time to attend her handler, Sgt. Riley Rodriguez’s (Eric Urbiztondo) funeral.
Both Jackson and Lulu suffer from traumatic brain injury, due to their deployment in the Middle East. Jackson requires a letter of recommendation from a superior officer to clear him for consideration for a job with the diplomatic security corps. While Jackson and Lulu race down the Pacific Coast, they encounter several setbacks and experience the likes of who each other has become since the war. Additionally, Jackson thinks he has nothing but the Military to look forward to and the future of Lulu is to be put down after the funeral. Along the way, Jackson loses it as Lulu destroys the front seats of his 1984 Ford Bronco while having one of her many fits of anxiety attacks. Jackson has to come to terms with his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as his difficulty with making emotional connections. On their way to the funeral, Jackson takes Lulu to visit her twin brother (Duke) at a friend’s Noah (Ethan Suplee) home. Jackson is shown that the dog can be calmed with a little loving care.
I enjoyed Dog and thought it was a solid family movie. There are a few curse words and one scene that suggest a threesome that doesn’t happen. Lulu, who barked her way through the entire production is more than a handful. Together, Jackson and Lulu get into many situations because of their stubbornness not to give in to each other. There’s plenty of humor, adventure, and excitement. “Dog” is in theaters and will not stream on Netflix or HBO MAX. “Dog” received positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, as of March 11, 2022, Dog grossed $43.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $6.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $50.2 million. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 111 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10. The website’s consensus reads, “Dog‘s dramatic breed is far from exotic, but solid narrative bones and well-trained work from co-director/star Channing Tatum make for a fetching viewing experience.”– Check It Out!
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